THE   BOOK 


OF    THE 


INDIANS 

OF 

NORTH   AMERICA: 

ILLUSTRATING 

THEIR  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  AND  PRESENT  STATE 


EDITED  BY  JOHN  FROST,  L.  L.  D. 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  "BOOK  OF  THE  NAVY,"  "BOOK  OF  THE  ARMY,"  ie..  See. 


HARTFORD: 
PUBLISHED    BY    W.    J.    HAMERSLEY 


.no  53 


Entered,  according'  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1 844  by 
D.   APPLETON   &  CO., 

in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  district  court  of  the  United  States  in  and 
for  the  southern  district  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 

THE  intention  of  the  following  work  is  to  furnish  a  correct 
view  of  the  present  state  of  the  Aborigines  of  this  country ; 
and  especially  of  the  wild  Indians  who  are  comparatively 
ignorant  of  the  white  man  and  his  arts  of  civilization.  The 
form  chosen  is  that  of  familiar  conversation  between  an  in 
telligent  old  hunter  and  a  circle  of  young  friends.  The  au 
thorities,  chiefly  relied  on,  are  Mr.  Catlin,  Prince  Maximilian 
of  Wied  and  other  recent  travellers,  with  occasional  anec 
dotes  and  illustrations  from  older  writers.  The  embellish 
ments  are  taken  chiefly  from  the  fresh  and  graphic  pictures 
of  Mr.  Catlin  and  Prince  Maximilian.  Three  of  the  draw 
ings  viz. :  The  Frontispiece,  the  Indian  Buffalo  Hunt  and 
Mr.  Char  don's  Adventure  were  furnished  by  that  accom 
plished  artist  Mr.  F.  0.  C.  Barley,  after  Mr.  Catlin's  designs. 

The  information  contained  in  the  volume  having  been 
Wholly  derived  from  authentic  sources,  it  is  believed  that  it 
will  prove  useful  and  acceptable  to  the  reading  public. 


(5) 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  subject  introduced      ---.--..      13 

•    CHAPTER  II. 

Some  account  of  the  fur  trade — The  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains 
of  North  America — Indian  hunters — Courreurs  des  Bois — 
Voyageurs — North  men — Comers  and  goers — A  decharge — A 
portage — Trappers — Beaver  hunting — Adventure  with  a  bear — 
Peltries  and  furs — Deer  hunting — A  cache — Fur  companies- 
Bisons,  bears,  deer,  wolves,  badgers,  beavers^  minxes,  martins, 
foxes,  racoons,  lynxes,  hares,  rabbits,  musk-rats,  squirrels,  and 
stoats  -  -  -  --  -  -'-  -  -  -19 

CHAPTER  III. 

Difficulty  in  ascertaining  who  were  the  Aborigines  of  America, 
and  from  whence  they  came — Various  opinions  on  the  subject — 
Catlin's  publication  on  the  "  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition 
of  the  North  American  Indians" — Census  of  the  different  tribes 
— Locality  of  the  Crows,  Blackfeet,  Sioux,  and  Creeks— The 
names  of  some  of  the  Indian  chiefs  and  remarkable  characters  33 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Wigwams — Crow  Indians  quitting  an  encampment — Villages — 
Food — Pomme  blanche — Pemican — Marrow  fat — Fruit —  Dress 
— Full  dress  of  Mah-to-toh-pa,  "the  four  bears" — Bows  and 
arrows,  quivers,  tomahawks,  spears,  shields,  and  scalping  knives 
— Scalping — War  clubs — Indian  warfare — Warfare  of  white 
men — Language — Names  of  the  sun  and  moon,  a  buffalo,  and 
the  Great  Spirit,  in  different  languages — Indian  method  of 
signing  treaties  -t  :-  •'  •=  - "  -  -  -  •  -  -  48 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  history  of  Black  Hawk — Na-na-ma-kee's  dream — Black 
Hawk's  birth  place — Becomes  a  brave — Fights  against  the 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Osages— His  father  killed — Destroys  forty  lodges  of  the  Osages  **& 
— Sac  chiefs  go  to  St.  Louis — Strong  drink  given  them,  and 
they  sign  away  land  of  the  Sac's  nation — American  whites  de 
ceive  the  Sacs,  and  Black  Hawk  joins  the  British — His  battles — 
He  returns  home— Kee-o-kuk  made  chief— Black  Hawk  again 
goes  to  war — He  gives  himself  up  to  the  Americans — A  buffalo 
hunt --4  v>.  .  -.'  .  64 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Valleys  and  prairies — A  flat  prairie — Bluffs  and  square  hills — 
Floyd's  grave — Blackbird's  grave — Fruit  grounds  in  prairie — 
Prairie  la  Crosse — Prairie  du  Chien — Couteau  des  Prairies — 
Missouri  prairies — Swan  Lake,  River  rice  grounds — Lover's 
leap — Salt  meadows — Savannahs — Red  Pipe-stone  quarry  -  79 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Seminole  Indians — King  of  the  Red  Hills — Oceola — A  coun 
cil — Agreement  to  an  exchange  of  land — Oceola  refuses  to  sign 
the  contract — Made  prisoner,  and  afterwards  set  at  liberty — His 
message  to  the  whites — Made  prisoner  again— His  death — Ad 
ventures  of  Nikkanochee,  prince  of  Econchatti  93 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  religion  of  the  Red  Indians — Medicine,  or  Mystery — Rain 
making — Marriage — Flattening  the  heads  of  children — Cradles 
— Practice  of  shaving  the  head — Exposure  of  the  aged — The 
Leaping  Rock — Catching  white  fish — Fasts,  feasts,  and  sacri 
fices — Runners — Indian  squaws — Pipe  smoking — Dog  feast — A 
common  life  scene  among  the  Indians — Smoking  a  shield — 
Pipes — Pipe  of  peace — Indian  burial — Resting-place  for  the 
dead  -  -  -  *«  ,.  ^-  *  :;;t  -  ^  .  .  104 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Anecdotes  of  the  Red  Indians — Indian  observation  and  sagacity 
— Indian  conscientiousness — Indian  honesty — Indian  ignorance 
— Indian  shrewdness — Indian  cunning  and  deceit — Indian  hero 
ism — Adventures  of  an  American  trapper  -  -  -  119 

CHAPTER  X. 

Buffaloes — Bisons — A  grand  surround  of  buffaloes — A  buffalo  wal 
low — Bears — Adventure  with  a  grizzly  bear — Anecdote  of  a 


CONTENTS.  ix 

common  bear — Wild  horses — Catching  horses  with  the  laso—  ***• 
Creasing  horses — Cougers — Wolves — White,  black,  and  clouded 
wolves— Deer— Moose  deer— Elk— Common  deer— The  wapiti 
deer — Black-tailed  deer — Cariboo — Mountain  sheep — Prairie 
dogs — Musk  rats — Taking  musk  rats — Fearful  adventure  of  the 
prairie  on  fire 134 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Games — Ball  play  among  the  Choctaws — Ball  play  by  the  women 
of  the  Prairie  du  Chien — Horsemanship — Foot  races — Canoe 
races — Wrestling — The  game  of  tchung-kee  among  the  Man- 
dans — Archery — The  game  of  the  arrow — Swimming — Mode 
of  swimming  customary  among  the  Indians — Prank  of  the  Min- 
ataree  children  on  the  Knife  river — Buffalo  dance — The  poor 
Indian  woman  -  -  - 150 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Musical  instruments — Whistles,  lutes,  rattles,  and  drums — War 
whistle  and  deer-skin  flute — The  beggars'  dance — The  doctors' 
dance — The  pipe  dance — The  black  drink — The  green  corn 
dance — The  dog  dance — The  discovery  dance — The  slave  dance 
— The  scalp  dance — The  sham  scalp  dance — The  eagle  dance 
— The  snow  shoe  dance — The  straw  dance — The  bear  dance — 
The  war  dance — Sham  fight  -  167 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  mystery  lodge  of  the  Mandans,  to  appease  the  good  and  evil 
spirits — The  Great  Canoe — The  unknown  man  from  the  prairie 
— The  old  mystery  man — -The  bull  dance — Preparing  young 
warriors  for  hardships  and  dangers — The  tortures  inflicted — 
The  self-possession  of  the  young  men — The  last  run — Fainting 
and  recovery  of  the  tortured  Indians — The  speech  of  Logan,  an 
Indian  chief— Address  of  the  Seneca  Indians  to  Governor 
Clinton — Address  of  the  chiefs  of  the  same  tribe — Speech  of  a 
warrior — Speech  of  Red  Jacket  ------  181 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Poisoned  arrows — Poison,  making — The  deadly  power  of  the 
poison — Council  of  war — Enlisting — Preparation  for  battle — 
Indian  mode  of  fighting — A  war  party — A  night  march — A 
surprise — A  village  attacked — The  onset — The  resistance — 
The  retreat— False  alarms— Camanchee  war  party— Their 


x  CONTENDS. 

chief  in  full  dress — The  wounded  Crow  warriors — The  mystery    *•«• 
man— rHis  useless  attempts  to  restore  the  wounded — Death  of 
Oceola,  the  Seminole  chief— The  death  of  a  Christian      -        -    195 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A  treaty  of  peace — The  tomahawk  buried — Pipe  of  peace  dance 
"  — Assinneboin  chief — Tribes  who  shave  their  heads — Turning 
in  the  toes  in  walking- — Names  of  women — Different  modes  of 
building  lodges — Buffalo  hunting  in  wolves'  skins — Begging 
horses — Medicine  rock — Hatching  thunder — Captain  Smith 
saved  by  a  chief's  daughter — Horned  frogs — Mosquitoes — Salt 
water  brooks  ....._.  207 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Dreadful  ravages  of  the  small  pox — Loss  sustained  by  the 
Minetereers,  Blackfeet,  Crows,  and  Crees — The  Mandan  people 

all   destroyed — Death   of   Mah-to-toh-pa,   "the   four  bears" 

Attempts  to  introduce  vaccination — Narrative  of  Mr  Catlin — 
John  Eliot,  the  first  Protestant  missionary  among  the  Red 
Indians — His  progress  and  death — Brainerd ;  his  Christian  course 
and  death — Character  given  of  him — Letter  of  the  Oneida 
chiefs — Speech  of  Little  Turtle — Missionary  trials — Slaughter 
of  the  Christian  Indians — Two  Chippeways  visit  England  -  220 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Trade  of  the  Indians— Visit  of  Mr  Catlin  to  the  Pawnees— The 
Council — Exchange  of  Prisoners  ------  247 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Buffalo  Hunt — American  Board  of  Missions — The  United  Brethren 
— The  Church  Missionary  Society — The  Wesleyan  Missionary 
Society — The  American  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions — The 
American  Baptist  Missions — The  American  Methodist  Mission 
ary  Society — Stations,  schools,  missionaries,  communicants, 
scholars,  etc. — Missionary  relations — Conclusion.  -  257 


THE 


INDIANS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  subject  introduced. 

~~^  N  a  wild  and  gusty  day,  Austin 
and  Brian  Edwards  were  return 
ing  home  from  a  visit  to  their 
uncle,  who  lived  at  a  distance  of 
four  or  five  miles  from  their  father's  dwell 
ing,  when  the  wind  which  was  before  suffi 
ciently  high,  rose  suddenly ;  and  the  hea 
vens,  which  had  for  some  hours  been  overclouded,  grew 
darker,  with  every  appearance  of  an  approaching  storm. 
Brian  was  for  returning  back ;  but  to  this,  Austin  would 
by  no  means  consent.  Austin  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and 
Brian  about  two  years  younger ;  their  brother  Basil,  who 
was  not  with  them,  had  hardly  completed  his  sixth  year. 

2  13 


14  A    LAND    STORM. 

The  three  brothers,  though  unlike  in  some  things  —  for 
Austin  was  daring,  Brian  fearful,  and  Basil  affectionate — 
very  closely  resembled  each  other  in  their  love  of  books 
and  wonderful  relations.  What  one  read,  the  other  would 
read ;  and  what  one  had  learned,  the  other  wished  to  know. 

Louder  and  louder  blew  the  wind,  and  darker  and  darker 
grew  the  sky,  and  already  had  a  distant  flash  and  growling 
thunder  announced  the  coming  storm,  when  the  two 
brothers  arrived  at  the  rocky  eminence  where,  though  the 
wood  was  above  them,  the  river  rolled  nearly  a  hundred 
fathom  below.  Some  years  before,  a  slip  of  ground  jiad 
taken  place  at  no  great  distance  from  the  spot,  when  a  mass 
of  earth,  amounting  to  well  nigh  half  an  acre,  with  the  oak 
trees  that  grew  upon  it,  slid  down  all  at  once  towards  the 
river.  The  rugged  rent  occasioned  by  the  slip  of  earth,  the 
great  height  of  the  road  above  the  river,  the  rude  rocks 
that  here  and  there  presented  themselves,  and  the  giant 
oaks  of  the  wood  frowning  on  the  dangerous  path,  gave  it 
a  character  at  once  highly  picturesque  and  fearful.  Austin, 
notwithstanding  the  loud  blustering  of  the  wind,  and  the 
remonstrance  of  his  brother  to  hasten  on,  made  a  momen 
tary  pause  to  enjoy  the  scene. 

In  a  short  time  the  two  boys  had  approached  the  spot 
where  a  low,  jutting  rock  of  red  sand-stone,  around  which 
the  roots  of  a  large  tree  were  seen  clinging,  narrowed  the 
path ;  so  that  there  was  only  the  space  of  a  few  feet  be 
tween  the  base  of  the  rock  and  an  abrupt  and  fearful 
precipice 

Austin  was  looking  down  on  the  river,  and  Brian  was 
holding  his  cap  to  prevent  it  being  blown  from  his  head, 
when,  between  the  fitful  blasts,  a  loud  voice,  or  rather  a 
cry,  was  heard,  "  Stop,  boys,  stop  !  Come  not  a  foot  farther 
on  peril  of  your  lives !"  Austin  and  Brian  stood  still, 
neither  knowing  whence  came  the  cry,  nor  what  was  the 
danger  that  threatened  them ;  they  were,  however,  soon 
sensible  of  the  latter,  for  the  rushing  winds  swept  through 
the  wood  with  a  louder  roar,  and  all  at  once,  part  of  the 


THE  HUNTER'S  COTTAGE.        15 

red  sand-stone  rock  gave  way  with  the  giant  oak  whose 
roots  were  wrapped  round  it,  when  the  massy  ruin,  with  a 
fearful  crash,  fell  headlong  across  the  path,  and  right  over 
the  precipice.  Brian  trembled  with  affright,  and  Austin 
turned  pale.  In  another  minute,  an  active  man,  somewhat 
in  years,  habited  as  a  shepherd,  with  a  crook  in  his  hand, 
was  seen  making  his  way  with  great  agility  over  such  parts 
of  the  fallen  rock  as  had  not  cleared  the  precipice.  It  was  he 
who  had  given  the  two  brothers  such  timely  notice  of  their 
danger,  and  thereby  saved  their  lives.  Austin  was  about 
to  thank  him,  but  hardly  had  he  began  to  speak,  when  the 
stranger  stopped  him.  "  Thank  God,  my  young  friends/' 
said  he,  with  much  emotion,  "  and  not  me ;  for  we  are  all 
in  his  hands.  It  is  his  goodness  that  has  preserved  you." 
In  a  little  time  the  stranger  had  led  Austin  and  Brian,  talk 
ing  kindly  to  them  all  the  way,  to  his  comfortable  cottage, 
which  stood  at  no  great  distance  from  the  bottom  of  the 
wood. 

Scarcely  had  they  seated  themselves  in  the  cottage,  when 
the  storm  came  on  full  of  fury.  As  flash  after  flash  seemed 
to  rend  the  dark  clouds,  and  clap  after  clap  shook  the  walls 
of  the  cottage,  the  rain  came  down  like  a  deluge,  and  the 
two  boys  were  thakful  to  find  themselves  in  so  comfortable 
a  shelter.  Brian  was  too  fearful  to  pay  attention  to  any 
thing  except  the  storm ;  but  it  did  not  escape  the  eye  of 
Austin,  that  the  cottage  walls  were  hung  round  with  lances, 
bows  and  arrows,  quivers,  tomahawks,  and  other  weapons 
of  Indian  warfare ;  together  with  pouches  girdles,  and  gar 
ments  of  great  beauty,  such  as  he  had  never  before  seen. 
A  sight  so  unexpected  both  astonished  and  pleased  him, 
and  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  It  was  some 
time  before  the  storm  had  spent  its  rage,  so  that  the  two 
brothers  had  some  pleasant  conversation  with  the  stranger, 
who  talked  to  them  cheerfully.  He  did  not,  however  fail 
to  dwell  much  on  the  goodness  of  God  in  their  preservation ; 
nor  did  he  omit  to  urge  on  them  to  read,  on  their  return, 
home,  the  first  two  verses  of  the  forty-sixth  Psalm,  which 


16  THE    HUNTER. 

he  said  might  dispose  them  to  look  upwards  with  thankful 
ness  and  confidence,  Austin  and  Brian  left  the  cottage, 
truly  grateful  for  the  kindness  which  had  been  showed 
them ;  and  the  former  felt  determined  it  should  not  be  his 
fault,  if  he  did  not,  before  long,  make,  another  visit  to  the 
place. 

When  the  boys  reached  home,  they  related  in  glowing 
colors,  and  with  breathless  haste,  the  adventure  which  had 
befallen  them.  Brian  dwelt  on  the  black  clouds,  the  vivid 
lightning,  and  the  rolling  thunder ;  while  Austin  described, 
with  startling  effect,  the  sudden  cry  which  had  arrested 
their  steps  near  the  narrow  path,  and  the  dreadful  crash  of 
the  red  sand-stone  rock,  when  it  broke  over  the  precipice, 
with  the  big  oak  tree  that  grew  above  it.  "  Had  we  not 
been  stopped  by  the  cry,"  said  he,  "  we  must,  in  another 
minute,  have  been  dashed  into  a  thousand  pieces."  He 
then,  after  recounting  how  kind  the  stranger  had  been  to 
them,  entered  on  the  subject  of  the  Indian  weapons. 

Though  the  stranger  who  had  rendered  the  boys  so  im 
portant  a  service  was  dressed  like  a  shepherd,  there  was 
that  in  his  manner  so  superior  to  the  station  he  occupied, 
that  Austin,  being  ardent  and  somewhat  romantic  in  his 
notions,  and  wrought  upon  by  the  Indian  weapons  and 
dresses  he  had  seen,  thought  he  must  be  some  important 
person  in  disguise.  This  belief  he  intimated  with  conside 
rable  confidence,  and  assigned  several  good  reasons  in  sup 
port  of  his  opinion. 

Brian  reminded  Austin  of  the  two  verses  they  were  to 
read ;  and  when  the  Bible  was  produced,  he  read  aloud, 
"  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in 
trouble.  Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be 
removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the 
midst  of  the  sea,"  Psa.  xlvi.  1,  2. 

"  Ay,"  said  Austin,  "  we  had  indeed  a  narrow  escape ; 
for  if  the  mountains  were  not  carried  into  the  sea,  the  rock 
fell  almost  into  the  river.'* 

On  the  morrow  Mr.  Edwards  was  early  on  his  way  to 


THE    HUNTER.  17 

the  cottage,  to  offer  his  best  thanks,  with  those  of  Mrs. 
Edwards,  to  the  stranger  who  had  saved  the  lives  of  his 
children.  He  met  him  at  the  door,  with  his  crook  in  his 
hand.  In  an  interview  of  half  an  hour,  Mr.  Edwards 
learned  that  the  cottager  was  the  son  of  an  English  fur 
trader;  and  that,  after  the  death  of  his  father  in  North 
America,  he  had  spent  several  years  among  the  Indian 
tribes,  resting  in  their  wigwams,  hunting  with  them,  and 
dealing  in  furs  ;  but  that,  having  met  with  an  injury  in  his 
dangerous  calling,  he  had,  at  last,  returned  to  his  native 
country.  Being  fond  of  solitude,  he  had  resolved,  having 
the  means  of  following  out  his  plans,  to  purchase  a  cottage, 
a  small  estate,  and  a  few  sheep ;  he  should  then  be  employed 
in  the  open  air,  and  doubted  not  that  opportunities  would 
occur,  wherein  he  could  make  himself  useful  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  There  was,  also,  another  motive  that  much 
influenced  him  in  his  plans.  His  mind  had  for  some  time 
been  deeply  impressed  with  Divine  things,  and  he  yearned 
for  that  privacy  and  repose,  which,  while  it  would  not  pre 
vent  him  from  attending  God's  house,  would  allow  him 
freely  to  meditate  on  God's  holy  word,  which  for  some  time 
had  been  the  delight  of  his  heart. 

He  told  Mr.  Edwards,  that  he  had  lived  in  the  cottage 
for  some  months ;  and  that,  on  entering  the  wood  the  day 
before,  hard  by  the  narrow  path,  he  perceived  by  the 
swaying  of  the  oak  tree  and  moving  of  the  sand-stone  rock, 
that  there  was  every  probability  of  their  falling  :  this  had 
induced  him  to  give  that  timely  warning  which  had  been  a 
means,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  of  preserving  the  young 
gentlemen  from  their  danger. 

Mr.  Edwards  perceived,  by  the  conversation  and  man 
ners  of  the  stranger,  that  he  was  evidently  a  respectable  char 
acter  ;  and  some  letters  put  into  his  hand  by  him,  both  from 
missionaries  abroad  and  ministers  of  the  gospel  in  England, 
addressed  to  the  stranger,  spoke  loudly  in  favour  of  his 
piety.  After  offering  him  his  best  thanks,  in  a  warm 
hearted  manner,  and  expressing  freely  the  pleasure  it  would 
C  2* 


18  INVITATION   TO    THE    COTTAGE. 

give  him,  if  he  could,  in  any  way,  act  a  neighbourly  pan 
in  adding  to  his  comfort,  Mr.  Edwards  inquired  if  his  chil 
dren  might  be  permitted  to  call  at  the  cottage,  to  inspect 
the  many  curiosities  that  were  there.  This  being  readily 
assented  to,  he  took  his  departure  with  a  very  favourable 
impression  of  his  new  neighbour,  with  whom  he  had  so 
unexpectedly  been  made  acquainted. 

Austin  and  Brian  were,  with  some  impatience,  awaiting 
their  father's  return,  and  when  they  knew  that  the  stranger 
who  had  saved  their  lives  had  actually  passed  years 
among  the  Indians,  on  the  prairies  and  in  the  woods  :  that 
he  had  slept  in  their  wigwams ;  hunted  with  them,  beavers, 
bears,  and  buffaloes;  shared  in  their  games;  heard  their 
wild  war-whoop,  and  witnessed  their  battles,  their  delight 
was  unbounded.  Austin  took  large  credit  for  his  penetra 
tion  in  discovering  that  the  cottager  was  not  a  common 
shepherd,  and  signified  his  intention  of  becoming  thoroughly 
informed  of  all  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  North 
American  Indians. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  agreeable  to  the  young 
people  than  this  unlooked-for  addition  to  their  enjoyment. 
They  had  heard  of  the  Esquimaux,  of  Negroes,  Malays, 
New  Zealanders,  Chinese,  Turks,  and  Tartars;  but  very 
little  of  the  North  American  Indians.  It  was  generally 
agreed,  as  leave  had  been  given  them  to  call  at  the  cottage, 
that  the  sooner  they  did  it  the  better.  Little  Basil  was  to 
be  of  the  party;  and  it  would  be  a  difficult  thing  to  decide 
which  of  the  three  brothers  looked  forward  to  the  proposed 
interview  with  the  greatest  pleasure. 

Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil,  had  at  different  times,  found 
abundant  amusement  in  reading  of  parrots,  humming  birds, 
and  cocoa  nuts;  lions,  tigers,  leopards,  elephants,  and 
horned  rhinocerosses ;  monkeys,  racoons,  opossums,  and 
sloths ;  mosquitoes,  lizards,  snakes,  and  scaly  crocodiles ; 
but  these  were  nothing,  in  their  estimation,  compared  with 
an  account  of  Red  Indians,  bears  and  buffaloes,  from  the 
mouth  of  one  who  actually  lived  among  them. 


INDIAN    SCENERY. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Some  account  of  the  fur  trade — The  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains  of 
North  America — Indian  hunters— Courreurs  des  Bois — Voyageurs— 
North  men — Comers  and  goers — A  decharge — A  portage — Trappers 
— Beaver  hunting — Adventure  with  a  bear — Peltries  and  furs — Deer 
hunting — A  cache — Fur  companies — Bisons,  bears,  deer,  wolves, 
badgers,  beavers,  minxes,  martins,  foxes,  racoons,  lynxes,  hares, 
rabbits,  musk-rats,  squirrels,  and  stoats. 

USTIN  EDWARDS  was  too  ardent  in 
his  pursuits  not  to  make  the  intended 
visit,  to  the  cottage  near  the  wood,  the 
continued  theme  of  his  conversation 
with  his  brothers,  through  the  remain 
der  of  the  day ;  and,  when  he  retired  to 
rest,  in  his  dreams  he  was  either  wan 
dering  through  the  forest  defenceless, 
having  lost  his  tomahawk,  or  flying  over  the  prairie  on  the 
back  of  a  buffalo,  amid  the  yelling  of  a  thousand  Red 
Indians. 

The  sun  was  bright  in  the  skies  when  the  three  brothers 
set  out  on  their  anticipated  excursion.  Austin  was  loud  in 
praise  of  their  kind  preserver,  but  he  could  not  at  all  under- 

19 


20  THE   ROAD    TO    THE   COTTAGE. 

stand  how  any  one,  who  had  been  a  hunter  of  bears  and 
buffaloes,  could  quietly  settle  down  to  lead  the  life  of  a  shep 
herd  :  for  his  part,  he  would  have  remained  a  hunter  for 
ever.  Brian  thought  the  hunter  had  acted  a  wise  part  in 
coming  away  from  so  many  dangers ;  and  little  Basil,  not 
being  quite  able  to  decide  which  of  his  two  brothers  was 
right,  remained  silent. 

As  the  two  elder  brothers  wished  to  show  Basil  the  place 
where  they  stood  when  the  oak  tree,  and  the  red  sand 
stone  rock,  fell  over  the  precipice  with  a  crash ;  and  as  Ba 
sil  was  equally  desirous  to  visit  the  spot,  they  went  up  to  it. 
Austin  helped  his  little  brother  over  the  broken  fragments 
which  still  lay  scattered  over  the  narrow  path.  It  was  a 
sight  that  would  have  impressed  the  mind  of  any  one  ;  and 
Brian  looked  up  with  awe  to  the  remaining  part  of  the 
rifted  rock,  above  which  the  fallen  oak  tree  had  stood. 
Austin  was  very  eloquent  in  his  description  of  the  sudden 
voice  of  the  stranger,  of  the  roaring  wind  as  it  rushed  through 
the  wood,  and  of  the  crashing  tree  and  falling  rock.  Basil 
showed  great  astonishment ;  and  they  all  descended  from 
the  commanding  height,  full  of  the  arresting  adventure  of 
the  preceding  day. 

When  they  were  come  within  sight  of  the  wood,  Brian 
cried  out  that  he  could  see  the  shepherd's  cottage  ;  but  Aus 
tin  told  him  that  he  ought  not  to  call  the  cottager  a  shep 
herd  but  a  hunter.  It  was  true  that  he  had  a  flock  of  sheep, 
but  he  kept  them  more  to  employ  his  time  than  to  get  a 
living  by  them.  For  many  years  he  had  lived  among  the 
Indians,  and  hunted  buifaloes  with  them ;  he  was,  there 
fore,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  buffalo  hunter,  and  ought 
not  to  be  called  a  shepherd.  This  important  point  being 
settled,  Brian  and  Basil  having  agreed  to  call  him,  in  future, 
a  hunter,  and  not  a.  shepherd,  they  walked  on  hastily  to  the 
cottage. 

In  five  minutes  after,  the  hunter,  for  such  by  Austin  Ed 
wards'  express  requirements  he  must,  in  future,  be  called, 
was  showing  and  explaining  to  his  delighted  young  visitors 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  HUNTER'S  COTTAGE.   21 

the  Indian  curiosities  which  hung  around  the  walls  of  his 
cottage,  together  with  others  which  he  kept  with  greater 
care.  These  latter  were  principally  calumets,  or  peace- 
pipes  ;  mocassins,  or  Indian  shoes ;  war-eagle  dresses,  man 
tles,  necklaces,  shields,  belts,  pouches,  and  war  clubs  of 
superior  workmanship.  There  was  also  an  Indian  cradle, 
and  several  rattles  and  musical  instruments ;  these  altogether 
afforded  the  young  people  wondrous  entertainment.  Austin 
wanted  to  know  how  the  Indians  used  their  war  clubs; 
Brian  inquired  how  they  smoked  the  peace-pipe  ;  -and  little 
Basil  was  quite  as  anxious  in  his  questions  about  a  rattle, 
which  he  had  taken  up  and  was  shaking  to  and  fro.  To  all 
these  inquiries  the  hunter  gave  satisfactory  replies,  with  a 
promise  to  enter  afterwards  on  a  more  full  explanation. 

In  addition  to  these  curiosities,  the  young  people  were 
shown  a  few  specimens  of  different  kinds  of  furs :  as  those 
of  the  beaver,  ermine,  sable,  martin,  fiery  fox,  black  fox, 
silver  fox,  and  squirrel.  Austin  wished  to  know  all  at  once, 
where,  and  in  what  way  these  fur  animals  were  caught ; 
and  with  this  end  in  view,  he  contrived  to  get  the  hunter 
into  a  conversation  oh  the  subject.  "  I  suppose,"  said  he, 
"  that  you  know  all  about  beavers,  and  martins,  and  foxes, 
and  squirrels." 

Hunter.  I  ought  to  know  something  about  them,  having 
been  in  my  time  somewhat  of  a  Voyageur ,  a  Courreur  des 
bois,  a  Trapper,  and  a  Freeman;  but  you  will  hardly 
understand  these  terms  without  some  little  explanation. 

•Austin.  What  is  a  Courreur  de  bois  ? 

Brian.  What  is  a  Voyageur. 

Basil.  I  want  to  know  what  a  Trapper  is. 

Hunter.  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  if  I  give  you  a  short 
account  of  the  way  in  which  the  furs  of  different  animals 
are  obtained,  and  then  I  can  explain  the  terms,  Voyageur, 
Courreur  des  bois,  Trapper  and  Freeman,  as  well  as  a  few 
other  things  which  you  may  like  to  know. 

Brian.  Yes,  that  will  be  the  best  way, 

•dustin.  Please  not  to  let  it  be  a  short  account,  but  a  long 


22  WHERE    FURS   COME  FROM. 

one.  Begin  at  the  very  beginning,  and  go  on  to  the  very 
end. 

Hunter.  Well,  we  shall  see.  It  has  pleased  God,  as  we 
read  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  book  of  Genesis,  to  give  man 
"  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the 
air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  earth,  and  over 
every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth."  The 
meaning  of  which  is,  no  doubt,  not  that  he  may  cruelly  abuse 
them,  but  that  he  may  use  them  for  his  wants  and  comforts, 
or  destroy  them  when  they  annoy  and  injure  him.  The 
skins  of  animals  have  been  used  as  clothing  for  thousands  of 
years1;  and  furs  have  become  so  general  in  dresses  and  orna 
ments,  that,  to  obtain  them,  a  regular  trade  has  long  been 
carried  on.  In  this  traffic,  the  uncivilized  inhabitants  of 
cold  countries  exchange  their  furs  for  useful  articles,  and 
comforts,  and  luxuries,  which  are  only  to  be  obtained  from 
warmer  climes  and  civilized  people. 

Austin.  And  where  do  furs  come  from  ? 

Hunter.  Furs  are  usually  obtained  in  cold  countries. 
The  ermine  and  the  sable  are  procured  in  the  most  northerly 
parts  of  Europe  and  Asia ;  but  most  of  the  furs  in  use  come 
from  North  America. 

•ftustin.  Ay !  North  America  is  very  large,  and  some 
parts  of  it  are  very  cold. 

Hunter.  Yes.  If  you  look  at  the  map  of  North  America, 
you  will  find  that  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific 
Oceans  the  space  is,  in  its  greatest  breadth,  more  than  three 
thousand  miles;  and  from  north  to  south,  the  country 
stretches  out,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  a  thousand  miles 
more  than  this.  The  principal  rivers  of  North  America, 
are  the  Mackenzie,  Missouri,  Mississippi,  Ohio,  and  St. 
Laurence.  The  Mississippi  is  between  three  and  four 
thousand  miles  long.  The  Rocky  or  Stony  mountains 
stretch  themselves  the  whole  length  of  the  land,  from  north 
to  south ;  and  another  range  of  mountains,  called  the  Apa- 
lachian,  extends  through  the  United  States.  North  America 
abounds  with  lakes :  Ontario  and  Winipeg  are  each  near 


THE    FUR   TRADE.  23 

two  hundred  miles  long;  Lakes  Huron  and  Erie  are 
between  two  and  three  hundred ;  Michigan  is  four  hundred, 
and  lake  Superior  nearly  five  hundred  miles  long. 

Brian.  What  a  length  !  Nearly  five  hundred  miles ! 
Why,  it  is  more  like  a  sea  than  a  lake. 

Hunter.  Well,  over  a  great  part  of  the  space  that  I  have 
mentioned,  furry  animals  abound  ;  and  different  fur  compa 
nies  send  those  in  their  employ,  to  boat  up  the  river,  to  sail 
through  the  lakes,  to  hunt  wild  animals,  to  trap  beavers, 
and  to  trade  with  the  various  Indian  tribes  which  are 
scattered  throughout  this  extensive  territory. 

Austin.  Oh !  how  I  should  like  to  hunt  and  to  trade 
with  the  Indians. 

Hunter.  Better  think  the  matter  over  before  you  set  off 
on  such  an  expedition.  Are  you  ready  to  sail  by  ship, 
steam-boat,  and  canoe  ;  to  ride  on  horseback,  or  to  trudge 
on  foot,  as  the  case  may  require ;  to  swim  across  brooks 
and  rivers ;  to  wade  through  bogs,  and  swamps,  and  quag 
mires  ;  to  live  for  weeks  on  flesh,  without  bread  or  salt  to 
it;  to  lie  on  the  cold  ground;  to  cook  your  own  food;  and 
to  mend  your  own  jacket  and  mocassins  ?  Are  you  ready 
to  bear  hunger  and  thirst,  heat  and  cold,  rain  and  solitude  ? 
Have  you  patience  to  bear  the  stings  of  tormenting  mosqui 
toes  ;  and  courage  to  defend  your  life  against  the  grizzly 
bear,  the  buffalo,  and  the  tomahawk  of  the  red  man,  should 
he  turn  out  to  be  an  enemy  ? 

Brian.  No,  no,  Austin.  You  must  not  think  of  running 
into  such  dangers. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  give  you  a  short  account  of  the  fur 
trade.  About  two  hundred  years  ago,  or  more,  the  French 
made  a  settlement  in  Canada,  and  they  soon  found  such 
advantage  in  obtaining  the  furry  skins  of  the  various 
animals  wandering  the  woods  and  plains  around  them,  that, 
after  taking  all  they  could  themselves,  they  began  to  trade 
with  the  Red  Indians,  the  original  inhabitants  of  the  coun 
try,  who  brought  from  great  distances  skins  of  various 
kinds.  In  a  rude  camp,  formed  of  the  bark  of  trees,  these 


24  COURREURS    DBS    BO1S. 

red  men  assembled,  seated  themselves  in  half  circles, 
smoked  their  pipes,  made  speeches,  gave  and  received 
presents,  and  traded  with  the  French  people  for  their  skins. 
The  articles  given  in  exchange  to  the  Indian  hunters,  were 
knives,  axes,  arms,  kettles,  blankets,  and  cloth :  the  brighter 
the  colour  of  the  cloth,  the  better  the  Indians  were  pleased. 

•Austin.  I  think  I  can  see  them  now. 

Basil.  Did  they  smoke  pipes  like  those  we  have  been 
looking  at  ? 

Hunter.  Yes ;  for  almost  all  the  pipes  used  by  the  red 
men  are  made  of  red  stone,  dug  out  of  the  same  quarry, 
called  pipe-stone  quarry ;  but  about  this  I  will  tell  you 
some  other  time.  One  bad  part  of  this  trading  system  was, 
that  the  French  gave  the  Indians  but  a  small  part  of  the 
value  of  their  skins,  besides  which  they  charged  their  own 
articles  extravagantly  high ;  and  a  still  worse  feature  in  the 
case  was  this,  that  they  supplied  the  Indians  with  spirit 
uous  liquors,  thereby  bringing  about  great  irregularities, 
which  the  French  did  not  fail  to  turn  to  their  own  account. 

Basil.  That  was  too  bad  on  the  part  of  the  French. 

Hunter.  This  system  of  obtaining  furs  was  carried  on 
for  many  years,  when  another  practice  sprang  up,  which 
was  for  such  white  men  as  had  accompanied  the  Indians 
in  hunting,  and  made  themselves  'acquainted  with  the 
country,  to  paddle  up  the  rivers  in  canoes,  with  a  few  arms 
and  provisions,  and  hunt  for  themselves.  They  were  absent 
sometimes  for  as  much  as  a  year,  or  a  year  and  a  half,  and 
then  returned  with  their  canoes  laden  with  rich  furs.  These 
white  men  were  what  I  called  Courreurs  des  bois,  or  wood- 
rangers. 

Austin.  Ah !  I  should  like  to  be  a  Courreur  des  bois. 

Hunter.  Some  of  these  Courreurs  des  bois  became  very 
lawless  and  depraved  in  their  habits,  so  that  the  French 
government  enacted  a  law  whereby  no  one,  on  pain  of 
death,  could  trade  in  the  interior  of  the  country  with  the 
Indians  without  a  licence.  Military  posts  were  also  estab 
lished,  to  protect  the  trade,  and  to  restrain  the  lawless 


VOYAGEURS  — NORTH-MEN.  25 

rangers  of  the  woods'.  In  process  of  time,  too,  fur  compa 
nies  were  established ;  and  men,  called  Voyageurs,  or 
canoe  men,  were  employed,  expressly  to  attend  to.  the 
canoes  carrying  supplies  up  the  rivers,  or  bringing  back 
cargoes  of  furs. 

Basil.  Now  we  know  what  a  Voyageur  is. 

Hunter.  You  would  hardly  know  me  again,  were  you  to 
see  me  dressed  as  a  voyageur.  Let  me  see,  I  should  have 
on  a  striped  cotton  shirt,  cloth  trousers,  a  loose  coat  made 
of  a  blanket,  with  perhaps  leathern  leggings  and  deer-skin 
mocassins  ;  and  then  I  must  not  forget  my  coloured  worsted 
belt,  my  knife,  and  tobacco  pouch. 

Austin.  What  a  figure  you  would  cut !  and  yet,  I  dare 
say,  such  a  dress  is  best  for  a  voyageur. 

Hunter.  Most  of  the  Canadian  voyageurs  were  good- 
humoured,  light-hearted  men,  who  always  sang  a  lively 
strain  as  they  dipped  their  oars  into  the  waters  of  the  lake  or 
rolling  river  ;  but  steam-boats  are  now  introduced,  so  that 
the  voyageurs  are  but  few. 

Basil.  What  a  pity  !  1  like  those  voyageurs. 

Hunter.  The  voyageurs,  who  were  out  for  a  long  period, 
and  navigated  the  interior  of  the  country,  were  called 
North-men,  or  Winterers;  while  the  others  had  the  name  of 
Goers  and  Comers.  Any  part  of  a  river  where  they  could 
not  row  a  laden  canoe,  on  account  of  the  rapid  stream,  they 
called  a  Decharge ;  and  there  the  goods  were  taken  from 
the  boats,  and  carried  on  their  shoulders,  while  others 
towed  the  canoes  up  the  stream  :  but  a  fall  of  water,  where 
they  were  obliged  not  only  to  carry  the  goods,  but  also  to 
drag  the  canoes  on  land  up  to  the  higher  level,  they  called 
a  Portage. 

Austin.  We  shall  not  forget  the  North-men,  and  Comers 
and  Goers,  nor  the  Decharges  and  Portagers. 

Basil.  You  have  not  told  us  what  a  Trapper  is. 

Hunter.  A  Trapper  is  a  beaver  hunter.  Those  who 
hunt  beavers  and  other  animals,  for  any  of  the  fur  compa- 
D  3 


26  THE    BEAVER.  ^  * 

nies,  are  called  Trappers,;  but  such  as  hunt  for  themselves, 
take  the  name  of  Freemen. 

Austin.  Yes,  I  shall  remember.  Please  to  tell  us  how 
they  hunt  the  beavers. 

Hunter.  Beavers  build  themselves  houses,  on  the  banks 
of  creeks  or  small  rivers,  with  mud,  sticks,  and  stones,  and 
afterwards  cover  them  over  with  a  coat  of  mud,  which  be 
comes  very  hard.  These  houses  are  five  or  six  feet  thick 
at  the  top ;  and  in  one  house,  four  old  beavers,  and  six  or 
eight  young  ones,  often  live  together.  But,  besides  their 
houses,  the  beavers  take  care  to  have  a  number  of  holes  in 
the  banks,  under  water  called  washes,  into  which  they  can 
run  for  shelter,  should  their  houses  be  attacked.  It  is  the 
business  of  the  trappers  to  find  out  all  these  washes,  or  holes; 
and  this  they  do  in  winter,  by  knocking  against  the  ice, 
and  judging  by  the  sound.  Over  every  hole,  they  cut  out 
a  piece  of  ice,  big  enough  to  get  at  the  beaver.  No  sooner 
is  the  beaver-house  attacked,  than  the  animals  run  into 


THE    BEAVER. 


their  holes,  the  entrances  of  which  are  directly  blocked  up 
with  stakes.  The  trappers  then  either  take  them  through 
the  holes  in  the  ice  with  their  hands,  or  haul  them  out  with 
hooks  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  pole  or  stick. 

Austin.  But  why  is  a  beaver  hunter  called  a  trapper?  I 
cannot  understand  that. 

Hunter.  Because  beavers  are  caught  in  great  numbers  in 
steel  traps,  which  are  set  and  baited  on  purpose  for 


ADVENTURE    WITH    A    BEAR. 


27 


Brian.  Why  do  they  not  catch  them  in  the  summer  ? 

Hunter.  The  fur  of  the  beaver  is  in  its  prime  in  the  win 
ter  ;  in  the  summer  it  is  of  inferior  quality. 

Austin.  Do  the  trappers  catch  many  beavers  ?  I  should 
think  there  could  not  be  very  many  of  them. 

Hunter.  In  one  year,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
alone,  sold  as  many  as  sixty  thousand  beaver  skins. 

Austin.  Sixty  thousand !  I  did  not  think  there  were  so 
many  beavers  in  the  world. 

Hunter.  I  will  tell  you  an  anecdote,  by  which  you  will 
see  that  hunters  and  trappers  had  need  be  men  of  courage 
and  activity.  It  is  said,  that  a  trapper,  of  the  name  of 
Cannon,  had  just  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  buifalo  ;  and 


BUFFALO   OR    BISON. 


as  he  was  at  a  considerable  distance  from  his  camp,  he  cut 
out  the  tongue  and  some  of  the  choice  bits,  made  them  into  a 
parcel  and  slinging  them  on  his  shoulders  by  a  strap  passed 
round  his  forehead,  as  the  voyageurs  carry  packages  of 


28  ADVENTURE    WITH    A    BEAR. 

goods,  set  out  on  his  way  to  the  camp.  In  passing  through 
a  narrow  ravine,  he  heard  a  noise  behind  him,  and  looking 
round,  beheld,  to  his  dismay,  a  grizzly  bear  in  full  pursuit,  ap 
parently  attracted  by  the  scent  of  the  meat.  Cannon  had  heard 
so  much  of  the  strength  and  ferocity  of  this  tremendous  ani 
mal,  that  he  never  attempted  to  fire,  but  slipping  the  strap  from 
his  forehead,  let  go  the  buffalo  meat,  and  ran  for  his  life. 
The  bear  did  not  stop  to  regale  himself  with  the  game,  but 
kept  on  after  the  hunter.  He  had  nearly  overtaken  him, 
when  Cannon  reached  a  tree,  and  throwing  down  his  rifle, 
scrambled  up  into  it.  The  next  instant  Bruin  was  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree,  but  as  this  species  of  bear  does  not  climb, 
he  contented  himself  with  turning  the  chase  into  a  blockade. 
Night  came  on.  In  the  darkness,  Cannon  could  not  per 
ceive  whether  or  not  the  enemy  maintained  his  station; 
but  his  fears  pictured  him  rigorously  mounting  guard.  He 
passed  the  night,  therefore,  in  the  tree,  a  prey  to  dismal  fan 
cies.  In  the  morning  the  bear  was  gone.  Cannon  warily 
descended  the  tree,  picked  up  his  gun,  and  made  the  best 
of  his  way  back  to  the  camp,  without  venturing  to  look 
after  his  buifalo  meat. 


GRIZZLY   BEAR. 


Austin.  Then  the  grizzly  bear  did  not  hurt  him  after  all. 

Brian.  I  would  not  go  among  those  grizzly  bears  for  all 
in  the  world.  We  have  no  bears  in  England,  and  nothing 
larger  than  a  hare  or.  a  fox  in  the  woods,  so  we  are  safe 
here. 

Hunter.  In  some  places,  perhaps,  a  few  deer  might  be 
found,  and  they  are  larger  than  half  a  dozen  foxes. 


DEER-TRAPPING.  29 

Austin.  Do  they  take  deer  in  North  America,  as  well  as 
other  animals  ? 

Hunter.  Deer,  though  their  skins  are  not  so  valuable  as 
many  furs,  are  very  useful  to  hunters  and  trappers;  for 
they  not  only  add  to  their  stock  of  peltries,  but  also  supply 
them  with  food.  When  skins  have  been  tanned  on  the 
inside,  they  are  called  furs ;  but,  before  they  are  tanned, 
they  are  called  peltries. .  Deer  are  trapped  much  in  the 
same  way  as  buffaloes  are.  A  large  circle  is  inclosed 
with  twisted  trees  and  brushwood,  with  a  very  narrow 
opening,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  well-frequented  deer 
path.  The  inside  of  the  circle  is  crowded  with  small  hedges, 
in  the  openings  of  which  are  set  snares  of  twisted  thongs, 
made  fast  at  one  end  to  a  neighbouring  tree.  Two  lines  of 
small  trees  are  set  up,  branching  off  outwardly  from  the 
narrow  entrance  of  the  circle ;  so  that  the  further  the  lines 
of  trees  extend  from  the  circle,  the  wider  is  the  space 
between  them.  As  soon  as  the  deer  are  seen  moving  in 
the  direction  of  the  circle,  the  hunters  get  behind  them,  and 
urge  them  on  by  loud  shouts.  The  deer  mistaking  the 
lines  of  trees  set  up  for  enemies,  fly  straight  forward,  till 
they  enter  the  snare  prepared  for  them.  The  circle  is  then 
surrounded,  to  prevent  their  quitting  it,  while  some  of  the 
hunters  go  into  it  blocking  up  the  entrance,  and  kill  the 
deer  with  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  their  spears. 

Basil.  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor  deer. 

Brian.  And  so  am  I,  Basil. 

Hunter.  Hunters  are  often  obliged  to  leave  food  in  par 
ticular  places,  in  case  they  should  be  destitute  on  their 
return  that  way.  They  sometimes,  too,  leave  property 
behind  them,  and  for  this  purpose  they  form  a  cache. 

Jiustin.  Oh  !  what  is  a  cache  ? 

Hunter.  A  cache  is  a  hole,  or  place  of  concealment ;  and 
when  any  thing  is  put  in  it,  great  care  is  required  to  conceal 
it  from  enemies,  and  indeed  from  wild  animals,  such  as 
wolves  and  bears. 

•flustin,  Well !  but  if  they  dig  a  deep  hole,  and  put  the 


30  FUR    COMPANIES. 

things  in  it,  how  could  any  body  find  it?  A  wolf  arid 
a  bear  would  never  find  it  out,  for  they  could  not  see 
through  the  ground. 

Hunter.  Perhaps  not ;  but  if  they  could  not  see  the  flesh 
hidden  in  the  cache,  they  might  smell  it. 

•Austin.  Ay !  I  forgot  that.  I  must  understand  a  little 
more  of  my  business  before  I  set  up  for  a  hunter,  or  a  trap 
per  ;  but  please  to  tell  us  all  about  a  cache. 

Hunter.  A  cache  is  usually  dug  near  a  stream,  that 
the  earth  taken  out  of  the  hole  may  be  thrown  into  the 
running  water,  otherwise  it  would  tell  tales.  Then  the 
hunters  spread  blankets,  or  what  clothes  they  have,  over 
the  surrounding  ground,  to  prevent  the  marks  of  their  feet 
being  seen.  When  they  have  dug  the  hole,  they  line  it  with 
dry  grass  and  sticks,  and  bark,  and  sometimes  with  a  dry 
skin.  After  the  things  to  be  hidden  are  put  in,  they  are 
covered  with  another  dry  skin,  and  the  hole  is  filled  up  with 
grass,  stones,  and  sticks,  and  trodden  down  hard,  to  prevent 
the  top  from  sinking  afterwards :  the  place  is  sprinkled  \vith 
water  to  take  away  the  scent ;  and  the  turf,  which  was  first 
cut  away,  before  the  hole  was  dug,  is  laid  down  with  care, 
just  as  it  was  before  it  was  touched.  They  then  take  up 
their  blankets  and  cloths,  and  leave  the  cache,  putting  a 
mark  at  some  distance,  that  when  they  come  again  they 
may  know  where  to  find  it. 

•ftustin.  Capital !  capital !  I  could  make  a  cache  now, 
that  neither  a  bear,  nor  a  wolf,  nor  a  Red  Indian  could 
find  out. 

Brian.  But  if  the  bear  did  not  find  the  cache,  he  might 
find  you  ;  and  then  what  would  become  of  you  ? 

•Austin.  Oh !  climb  a  tree,  as  Cannon  did.  I  warrant 
you  that  I  should  manage  him,  one  way  or  another. 

Hunter.  The  fur  companies  that  have  been  established 
at  different  times,  are  as  far  as  I  can  remember,  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company,  the  North-west  Company,  the  Russian 
American  Fur  Company,  the  Mackinaw  Far  Company, 
the  American  Fur  Company,  the.  South-west  Company, 


HUNTER'S    INVITATION.  31 

the  Pacific  .Fur  Company,  Ashley's  Fur  Company,  and 
Bonneville's  Fur  Company.     Of  these,  I  think,  the  latter 
two,  with  the  Russian,  the  American,  and  the  United  Hud 
son's  Bay  and  North-west  Companies,  are  all  that  now 
remain.     Most  of  the  furs  that  are  taken  find  their  way  to 
London  ;  but  every  year  the  animals  which  produce  them 
become  fewer.    Besides  the  skins  of  larger  animals,  North 
America  supplies  the  furs  of  a  great  number  of  smaller 
creatures  ;  and  these,  varying  in  their  habits,  require  to  be 
taken  in  a  different  manner.     The  bison  is  found  on  the 
prairies,  or  plains ;  the  beaver,  on  creeks  and  rivers ;  the 
badger,  the  fox,  and  the  rabbit,  burrow  on  the  ground  ;  and 
the  bear,  the  deer,  the  minx,  the  martin,  the  racoon,  the 
lynx,  the  hare,  the  musk-rat,  the  squirrel,  and  the  stoat  (the 
North  American  ermine)  are  all  to  be  found  in  the  woods. 
In  paddling  up  the  rivers  in  canoes,  and  in  roaming  the 
woods  and  prairies,  in  search  of  these  animals,  I  have 
mingled  much  with  Indians  of  different  tribes ;  and  if  you 
can,  now  and  then,  make  a  call  at  my  cottage,  you  will, 
perhaps,  be  entertained  in  hearing  what  I  can  tell  you 
about  them.     The  Red  Indians  should  be  regarded  by  us 
as  brothers ;  we  ought  to  feel  interested  in  their  welfare 
here,  and  in  their  happiness  hereafter.     We  have  the  word 
of  God,  and  Christian  sabbaths,  and  Christian  ministers, 
and  religious  ordinances  in  abundance,  to  direct  and  com 
fort  us ;  but  they  are  but  scantily  supplied  with  these  advan 
tages.     Let  us  not  forget  to  put  them  in  our  prayers,  that 
the  Father  of  mercies  may  make  known  his  mercy  to  them, 
opening  their  eyes,  and  influencing  their  hearts,  so  that  they 
may  become  true  servants  of  the  "  Lord  of  lords,  and  King 
of  kings." 

The  delight  visible  in  the  sparkling  eyes  of  the  young 
people,  as  they  took  their  leave,  spoke  their  thanks  much 
better  than  the  words  that  fell  from  their  tongues.  On  their 
way  home,  they  talked  of  nothing  else  but  fur  companies, 
lakes,  rivers,  prairies  and  rocky  mountains;  buffaloes, 
wolves,  bears,  and  beavers  j  and  it  was  quite  as  much  as 


32 


THE   RETURN   HOME. 


Brian  and  Basil  could  do,  to  persuade  their  brother  Austin 
from  making  up  his  mind  at  once  to  be  a  voyageur,  a  cour- 
reur  des  bois,  and  a  trapper.  The  more  they  were  against 
it,  so  much  the  more  his  heart  seemed  set  upon  the  enter 
prise  ;  and  the  wilder  they  made  the  buffaloes  that  would 
attack  him,  and  the  bears  and  wolves  that  would  tear  him 
to  pieces,  the  bolder  and  more  courageous  he  became. 
However,  though  on  this  point  they  could  not  agree,  they 
were  all  unanimous  in  their  determination  to  make  another 
visit  to  the  cottage  the  first  possible  opportunity. 


INDIAN  CLOAK. 


CHIEFS   OK   DIFFERENT   TRIBES. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Difficulty  in  ascertaining  who  were  the  Aborigines  of  America,  and 
from  whence  they  came — Various  opinions  on  the  subject — Catlin's 
publication  on  the  "  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North 
American  Indians''1 — Census  of  the  different  tribes — Locality  of  the 
Crows,  Blackfeet,  Sioux,  and  Creeks — The  names  of  some  of  the 
Indian  chiefs  and  remarkable  characters. 

PON  the  next  occasion  when 
the  three  brothers  paid  a  visit 
to  the  cottage,  they  did  not  go 
to  the  red  sand-stone  rock, 
though  the  adventure  which  took 
place  there  formed  a  part  of  their  con 
versation.  They  found  the  hunter  at 
home,  and,  being  now  on  very  friendly 
and  familiar  terms  with  him,  they 
entered  at  once  on  the  subject  that  was  nearest  their  hearts, 
namely,  that  of  the  North  American  Indians.  "  Tell  us,  if 
you  please,"  said  Austin,  as  soon  as  they  were  seated 
"  about  the  very  beginning  of  the  red  men.0 

E  33 


34  RED    MEN. 

"You  are  asking  me  to  do  that/'  replied  the  hunter, 
"which  is  much  more  difficult  than  you  suppose.  To 
account  for  the  existence  of  the  original  inhabitants,  and  of 
the  various  tribes  of  Red  Indians  which  are  now  scattered 
throughout  the  whole  of  North  America,  has  puzzled  the 
heads  of  the  wisest  men  for  ages ;  and,  even  at  the  present 
day,  though  travellers  have  endeavoured  to  throw  light  on 
this  subject,  it  still  remains  a  mystery." 

Jlustin.  But  what  is  it  that  is  so  mysterious  ?  What  is  it 
that  wise  men  and  travellers  cannot  make  out  ? 

Hunter.  They  cannot  make  out  how  it  is,  that  the  whole 
of  America,  taking  in,  as  it  does,  some  parts  which  are 
almost  always  covered  with  snow  ;  and  other  parts  that 
are  as  hot  as  the  sun  can  make  them ;  should  be  peopled 
with  a  class  of  human  beings  distinct  from  all  others  in  the 
world — red  men,  who  have  black  hair,  and  no  beards.  If 
you  remember,  it  is  said,  in  the  first  chapter-of  Genesis,  "  So 
God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God 
created  he  him ;  male  and  femaleVreated  he  them."  And, 
in  the  second  chapter  ,  "  And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  gar 
den  eastward  in  Eden ;  and  there  he  put  the  man  whom  he 
had  formed."  Now,  it  is  known,  by  the  names  of  the 
rivers  which  are  mentioned  in  the  chapter,  that  the  garden 
of  Eden  was  in  Asia ;  so  that  you  see  our  first  parents, 
whence  the  whole  of  mankind  have  spjung,  dwelt  in  Asia. 

Austin.  Yes,  that  is  quite  plain. 

Hunter.  Well  then,  you  recollect,  I  dare  say,  that 
when  the  world  was  drowned,  all  mankind  were  destroyed, 
except  Noah  and  his  family  in  the  ark. 

Brian.  Yes ;  we  recollect  that  very  well. 

Hunter.  And  when  the  ark  rested,  it  rested  on  Mount 
Ararat,  which  is  in  Asia  also.  If  you  look  on  the  map  of 
the  world,  you  will  see  that  the  three  continents,  Europe, 
Asia,  and  Africa  are  united  together  ;  but  America  stands 
by  itself*,  with  an  ocean  rolling  on  each  side  of  it,  thousands 
of  miles  broad.  It  is  easy  to  suppose  that  mankind  would 
spread  over  the  continents  that  are  close  together,  but  difficult 


RED    INDIANS   OF    FORMER    TIMES.         35 

lo  account  for  their  passing  over  the  ocean,  at  a  time  when 
the  arts  of  shipbuilding  and  navigation  were  so  little  under 
stood. 

Austin.  They  must  have  gone  in  a  ship,  that  is  certain. 

Hunter.  But  suppose  they  did,  how  come  it  about  that 
they  should  be  so  very  different  from  all  other  men? 
America  was  only  discovered  about  four  hundred  years 
ago,  or  little  more,  and  then  it  was  well  peopled  with  red 
men,  and  had  great  cities.  Besides,  there  have  been  dis 
covered  throughout  America,  monuments,  ruins,  and  sites 
of  ancient  towns,  with  thousands  of  inclosures  and  fortifi 
cations.  Articles,  too,  of  pottery,  sculpture,  glass,  and 
copper,  have  been  found  at  times,  sixty  or  eighty  feet  under 
the  ground,  and  in  some  instances,  with  forests  growing 
over  them,  so  that  they  must  have  been  very  ancient.  The 
people  who  built  these  fortifications  and  towers,  and  pos 
sessed  these  articles  in  pottery,  sculpture,  glass,  and  copper, 
lived  at  a  remote  period,  and  must  have  been,  to  a  conside 
rable  degree  cultivated.  Who  these  people  were,  and  how 
they  came  to  America,  no  one  knows,  though  many  have 
expressed  their  opinions.  But,  even  if  we  did  know  who 
they  were,  how  could  we  account  for  the  present  race  of 
Red  Indians  in-  North  America  being  barbarous,  when  their 
ancestors  were  so  highly  civilized  ?  These  are  difficulties 
which  as  I  said,  have  puzzled  the  wisest  heads  for  ages. 

Austin.  What  do  wise  men  and  travellers  say  about 
these  things  ? 

Hunter.  They  think,  that  as  the  frozen  regions  of  Asia^  in 
one  part,  are  so  near  the  frozen  regions  of  North  America — 
it  being  only  about  forty  miles  across  Behrings'  Straits — 
some  persons  from  Asia  might  have  crossed  over-there,  and 
peopled  the  country ;  or  that  North  America  might  have 
once  been  joined  to  Asia,  though  it  is  not  so  now ;  or  that, 
in  ancient  times,  some  persons  might  have  drifted,  or  begn 
blown  there  by  accident,  in  boats  or  ships,  across  the  wide 
ocean.  Some  think  these  people  might  have  been  the 
Phenicians,  Carthagenians,  Hebrews,  or  Egyptians ;  while 


36        RED    INDIANS    OF    PRESENT    TIMES. 

another  class  of  reasoners  suppose  them  to  have  been  Hin 
doos,  Chinese,  Tartars,  Malays,  or  others.  It  seems,  how 
ever,  to  be  God's  will  often  to  humble  the  pride  of  his  crea 
tures,  by  baffling  their  conjectures,  and  hedging  up  theii 
opinions  with  difficulties.  His  way  is  in  the  sea,  and  his 
path  in  the  great  waters,  and  his  footsteps  are  not  known, 
Psa.  Ixxvii.  1 9.  He  "  maketh  the  earth  empty,  and  maketh 
it  waste,  and  turneth  it  upside  down,  and  scattereth  abroad 
the  inhabitants  thereof,"  Isa.  xxiv.  I. 

•Austin.  Well,  if  you  cannot  tell  us  of  the  Red  Indians  in 
former  times,  you  can  tell  us  of  the  Red  Indians  that  are 
in  North  America  now,  and  that  will  be  a  great  deal  better. 

Brian.  Yes,  that  it  will. 

Hunter.  You  must  bear  in  mind,  that  some  years  have 
passed  since  I  was  hunting  and  trapping  in  the  woods  and 
prairies,  and  that  many  changes  have  taken  place  since  then 
among  the  Red  Indians.  Some  have  been  tomahawked  by 
the  hands  of  the  stronger  tribes ;  some  have  sold  their 
lands  to  the  whites,  and  retired  to  the  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi  ;  and  tho.usands  have  been  carried  off  by  the  small 
pox,  which  has  made  sad-  havoc  among  them.  I  must 
therefore,  speak  of  them  as  they  were,  except  in  such 
instances  wherein  I  may  happen  to  know  what  changes 
have  taken  place.  Some  of  the  tribes,  since  I  left  them, 
have  been  utterly  destroyed ;  not  one  living  creature  among 
them  being  left  to  speak  of  those  who  have  gone  before 
them. 

Jlustin.  What  a  pity !  They  want  some  good  doctors 
among  them,  and  then  the  small  pox  would  not  carry  them 
off  in  that  way. 

Hunter.  I  will  not  pretend  to  give  you  an  exact  account 
of  the  number  of  the  different  tribes,  or  the  particular  places 
they  now  occupy ;  for  though  my  information  may  be  gener 
ally  right,  yet  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  are  many. 

JLustin.  Please  to  tell  us  what  you  remember,  and  what 
you.  know  ;  and  that  will  quite  satisfy  us. 

Hunter.  An  American,  of  the  name  of  Catlin,  has  pub- 


INDIAN    TRIBES.  37 

lished  a  book  called,  "  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners, 
Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American  Indians ;" 
and  a  most  interesting  and  entertaining  account  it  is.  If 
ever  you  can  lay  hold  of  it,  it  will  afford  you  great  amuse 
ment.  Perhaps  no  man  who  has  written  on  the  Indians 
has  seen  so  much  of  them  as  he  has. 

Brian.  Did  you  ever  meet  Catlin  ? 

Hunter.  Oh  yes,  many  times ;  and  a  most  agreeable 
companion  I  found  him.  The  last  time  I  took  him  by  the 
hand  was  at  the  Egyptian  Hall,  in  London,  where  he  had 
the  best  collection  of  Indian  curiosities  that  ever  was 
amassed  together.  If  you  can  get  a  sight  of  his  book,  you 
will  soon  see  that  he  is  a  man  of  much  knowledge,  and  pos 
sessing  great  courage,  energy  and  perseverance.  I  will 
now,  then,  begin  my  narrative  :  and  if  you  can  find  pleasure 
in  hearing  a  description  of  the  Red  Indians,  with  their 
villages,  wigwams,  war-whoops,  and  warriors ;  their  man 
ners,  customs,  and  superstitions ;  their  dress,  ornaments,  and 
arms;  their  mysteries,  games,  huntings,  dances,  war- 
councils,  speeches,  battles,  and  burials ;  with  a  fair  sprink 
ling  of  prairie  dogs,  and  wild  horses;  wolves,  beavers, 
grizzly  bears,  and  mad  buffaloes ;  I  will  do  my  best  to  give 
you  gratification. 

Austin.  These  are  the  very  things  that  we  want  to 
know.- 

Hunter.  I  shall  not  forget  to  tell  you  what  the  missiona 
ries  have  done  among  the  Indians ;  but  that  must  be 
towards  the  latter  end  of  my  account.  In  the  year  1836, 
there  was  published  at  New  York  as  correct  a  statement  as 
could  then  be  drawn  up  of  the  numbers  of  the  different 
tribes.  As  I  have  it  here,  I  will  just  read  it  over,  that  you 
may  see  which  are  the  most  numerous  of  the  tribes. 

The  names  of  the  Indian  tribes,  with  their  numbers, 
which  have  emigrated  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  are, 

Chocktaws  ^  ^  .  ;  *-  »  .-•  ..  ^  -  -  15,000 
Appalachicoles  -  -  -  -  »  ^ .  ..  265 
Cherokees  -  -  ' 5,000 


33  INDIAN   TRIBES. 

Creeks               -        -        -        -        -        -        .        -  2,459 

Senecas  and  Shawanees     -        .        -        .        .        .  211 

Senecas  from  Sandusky 231 

Potowatemies    ........  141 

Peorias  and  Kaskaskies    -        -        -        -        -        -  132 

Pienkeshaws                       •        ...        .        .        .  162 

Wees -        .        -        -  222 

Ottowas 200 

Kickapoos 470 

Shawanees 1,250 

Delawares 825 

The  names  and  numbers  of  the  Indian  tribes  resident 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  are, 

loways 1,200 

Sacs,  of  the  Missouri 500 

Omahas 1,400 

Ottos  and  Missourias 1,600 

Pawnees •       .  10,000 

Camanchees 7,000 

Mandans 15,000 

Mirietereers 15,000 

Assinaboins       ........  800 

Crees 3,000 

Grdsventres 3,000 

Crows       .........  45,000 

Sioux 27,000 

Quapaws  .        .        •        -        -•        -        -        -  460 

Caddoes 800 

Poncas  ^ 800 

Osages 5,120 

Kansas     -        J»<J-*'_f«^iSi8'::'"*8S    ££&£*£;:. i.  1,471 

Sacs      •-'  -        «-I  'X^'MK>:>OJ»  Yfi;i»lo  fei!^'^:-  4,800 

Arickaras 3,000 

Charanes           -        -         -        -        -        -        -        -  2,000 

Blackfeet                   .                 30,000 

Foxes       .' 1,600 

Arepehas  and  Keawas        ......  1,400 

And  there  are  yet  remaining,  east  of  the  river  in  the 
southren  states,  a  considerable  number ;  the  five  principal 
tribes,  are  the 

Seminoles,  yet  remaining  east   .....  2,420 

Choctaws,            ditto                 •  *     -  "     -        .  ~     -  3,500 


•   MAP   OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  39 

Chickasaws,  ditto  _  -  5,429 
Cherokees,  ditto  -  ...  -  10,000 
Creeks 22,668 

Those  stated  as  western  tribes  extend  along  the  whole 
western  frontier.  The  average  number  of  an  Indian 
family  is  four. 

Austin.  The  Crows  and  the  Blackfeet  are  the  most 
numerous,  and  then  come  the  Sioux  and  the  Creeks. 

Hunter.  Though  this  account  might  be  correct  in  1836, 
it  is  not  correct  at  the  present  time  ;  for,  in  1838,  the  Black- 
feet  lost  twelve  thousand  by  small  pox.  Should  you  meet 
with  an  account  of  North  American  Indians  that  differs 
from  this,  you  must  remember  that  some  people  include  * 
many  of  the  smaller  tribes  under  the  general  names  of  the 
larger;  this  would  make  an  apparent  difference.  Well, 
now,  I  will  lay  before  you  a  map  of  North  America.  See 
how  it  stretches  out  north  and  south  from  Baffin's  Bay  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  east  and  west  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  What  a  wonderful  work  of  the  Almighty 
is  the  rolling  deep  !  "  The  sea  is  his,  and  he  made  it :  and 
his  hands  formed  the  dry  land."  Here  are  the  great  Lakes 
Superior,  Michigan,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario. 

Basil.  There  is  one  up  higher ;  and  yonder  is  another  to 
the  left  hand,  bigger  still,  I  think. 

Hunter.  That  to  the  left  is  Slave  Lake,  and  the  other  is 
Lake  Winipeg ;  and  here  run  the  mighty  rivers,  the  Mis 
sissippi,  the  Mackenzie,  the  Missouri,  the  Ohio,  and  the  St. 
Lawrence  :  the  Mississippi  itself  is  between  three  and  four 
thousand  miles  long. 

Basil.  What  a  river  !  Please  to  tell  us  what  are  all  those 
little  hills  running  along  there,  one  above  another,  from  top 
to  bottom. 

Hunter.  They  are  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Some  regard 
them  as  a  continuation  of  the  Andes  of  South  America  ;  so 
that,  if  both  are  put  together,  they  will  make  a  chain  of 
mountains  little  short  of  nine  thousand  miles  long.  North 
America,  with  its  mighty  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains,  its 


40  CHARACTER    OF   THE   INDIANS. 

extended  valleys  and  prairies,  its  bluffs,  caverns,  and  cata 
racts,  and,  more  than  all,  its  Red  Indian  inhabitants,  beavers, 
buffaloes,  and  bisons,  will  afford  us  something  to  talk  of 
for  some  time  to  come ;  but  the  moment  you  are  tired  of  my 
account,  we  will  bring  the  matter  to  a  close. 

Austin.  We  shall  never  be  tired ;  no,  not  if  you  go  on 
telling  us  something  every  time  we  come,  for  a  whole 
year. 

Hunter.  You  remember  the  Crow  Indians  are  the  most 
numerous  of  all  the  tribes.  You  will  find  them  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  Yellow  Stone  River.  When  a  Crow  meets 
a  Blackfoot  there  is  a  struggle,  for  they  mortally  hate  each 
Other. 

Brian.  Where  are  the  Blackfeet?  Are  they  near  the 
Crows? 

Hunter.  They  are  at  the  head  of  the  Missouri  river. 
These  are  not  such  fine  looking  men  as  the  Crows,  for  they 
are  low  in  stature ;  however,  they  are  strong,  broad-chested 
men,  and  have  usually  plenty  of  arms.  The  Sioux,  or 
Dahc6ta,  occupy  a  large  tract  of  country  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers,  stretching  out  to  the 
rocky  mountains  on  the  west ;  while  the  Creeks  are 
divided,  part  being  on  the  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  part 
on  the  west. 

Austin.  How  did  these  tribes  behave  to  you,  when  you 
were  among  them  ? 

Hunter.  I  have  not  a  word  of  complaint  to  make.  The 
Red  Indians  have  been  represented  as  treacherous,  dis 
honest,  reserved,  and  sour  in  their  disposition  ;  but,  instead 
of  this,  I  have  found  them  generally,  though  not  in  all 
cases,  frank,  upright,  hospitable,  light-hearted,  and  friendly. 
Those  who  have  seen  Indians  smarting  under  wrongs,  and 
deprived,  by  deceit  and  force,  of  their  lands,  hunting  grounds, 
and  the  graves  of  their  fathers,  may  have  found  them  other 
wise  :  and  no  wonder ;  the  worm  that  is  trodden  on,  will 
writhe ;  and  man,  unrestrained  by  divine  grace,  when 
treated  with  injustice  and  cruelty,  will  turn  on  his  oppressor, 


STU-MICH-O-SUCKS,  CHIEF  OF  THE   BLACKFEKT   INDIANS. 


41 


INDIAN    CHIEFS.  43 

Austin.  Say  what  you  will,  I  like  the  Red  Indians. 

Hunter.  That  there  is  much  of  evil  among  Indians,  is 
certain :  much  of  ignorance,  unrestrained  passions,  cruelty, 
and  revenge  :  but  they  have  been  misrepresented  in  many 
things.  I  had  better  tell  you  the  names  of  some  of  the 
chiefs  of  the  tribes,  or  of  some  of  the  most  remarkable  men 
among  them. 

Austin.  Yes  ;  you  cannot  do  better.  Tell  us  the  names  of 
all  the  chiefs,  and  the  warriors,  and  the  conjurors,  and  all 
about  them. 

Hunter.  The  Blackfeet  Indians  are  a  very  warlike  peo 
ple  ;  they  inhabit,  or  did  inhabit,  a  tract  of  land  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  river  Missouri,  stretching  off  to  the  west  as 
far  as  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Stu-mich-o-suks  \  was  the 
name  of  their  chief. 

Austin.  Stu-mich-o-sucks  !  What  a  name  !  Is  there  any 
meaning  in  it  ? 

Hunter.  Oh  yes.  It  means, "  the  back  fat  of  the  buffalo ;" 
and  if  you  had  seen  him  and  Peh-to-pe-kiss,  "  the  ribs  of 
the  eagle,"  chief  of  the  Blood  Band,  dressed,  up  in  their 
splendid  mantles,  buffaloes'  horns,  ermine  tails,  and  scalp 
locks,  you  would  not  soon  have  removed  your  eyes  from 
them. 

Brian.  Who  would  ever  be  called  by  such  a  name  as 
that  ?  The  back  fat  of  the  buffalo  ! 

Hunter.  The  Camanchees  are  famous  on  horseback. 
There  is  no  tribe  among  the  Indians  that  can  come  up  to 
them,  to  my  mind,  in  the  management  of  a  horse,  and  the 
use  of  the  lance  :  they  are  capital  hunters.  If  you  pay 
them  a  visit,  you  will  find  them,  part  in  the  provinces  of 
Mexico,  and  part  farther  north,  near  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
The  name  of  their  chief  is  Ee-shah-kd-nee,  or  "  the  bow 
and  quiver."  I  hardly  ever  saw  a  larger  man  among  the 
Red  Indians  than  Ta-w<ih-que-nah,  the  second  chief  in 
power.  Ta-wah-que-nah,  means  "  the  mountains  of  rocks  ;" 
a  very  fit  name  for  a  huge  Indian  living  near  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  When  I  saw  Kots-o-ko-ro-ko,  or  "  the  hair  of 


44  INDIAN    CHIEFS. 

the  bull's  neck ;"  who  is,  if  I  remember  right,  the  third  chief ; 
he  had  a  gun  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  warlike  shield  on 
his  left  arm. 

Austin.  If  I  go  among  the  Indians,  I  shall  stay  a  long 
time  with  the  Camanchees;  and  then  I  shall,  perhaps,  become 
one  of  the  most  skilful  horsemen,  and  one  of  the  best  hun 
ters  in  the  world. 

Brian.  And  suppose  you  get  thrown  off  your  horse,  cr 
killed  in  hunting  buffaloes,  what  shall  you  say  to  it  then  ? 

Austin.  Oh,  very  little,  if  I  get  killed ;  but  no  fear  of  that. 
I  shall  mind  what  I  am  about.  Tell  us  who  is  the  head  of 
the  Sioux  ? 

Hunter.  When  I  was  at  the  upper  waters  of  the  Missis 
sippi  and  Missouri  rivers,  where  the  Sioux,  or  Dah-c6-ta, 
reside,  Ha-w6n-je-tah,  or  "the  one  horn,"  was  chief;  but 
since  then,  being  out  among  the  buffaloes,  a  buffalo  bull  set 
on  him,  and  killed  him. 

Basil.  There,  Austin !  If  an  Indian  chief  was  killed 
by  a  buffalo,  what  should  you  do  among  them  ?  Why  they 
would  toss  jou  over  their  heads  like  a  shuttlecock. 

Hunter.  Wee-ta-ra-sha-ro,  the  head  chief  of  the  Paw 
nee  Picts,  is  dead  now,  I  dare  say ;  for  he  was  a  very  old, 
as  well  as  a  very  venerable  looking  man.  Many  a  buffalo 
hunt  with  the  Camanchees  had  he  in  his  day,  and  many  a 
time  did  he  go  forth  with  them  in  their  war  parties.  He 
had  a  celebrated  brave  of  the  name  of  Jlh'-sho-cole,  or 
"  rotten  foot,"  and  another  called  *fl.h'-re-kah-na-c6-chee, 
"the  mad  elk."  Indians  give  the  name  of  brave,  to 
a  warrior  distinguished  for  courage. 

Brian.  I  wonder  that  they  should  choose  such  long 
names.  It  must  be  a  hard  matter  to  remember  them. 

Hunter.  There  were  many  famous  men  among  the 
Sacs.  Kee-o-kuk  was  the  chief.  Kee-o-kuk  means  "  the 
running  fox."  One  of  his  boldest  braves  was  Ma-ka-tai- 
me-stie-kia-ki&k,  "  the  black  hawk."  The  history  of  this 
renowned  warrior  is  very  curious.  It  was  taken  down 
from  his  own  lips,  and  has  been  published.  If  you  should 


INDIAN    NAMES.  45 

.ike  to  listen  to  the  adventures  of  Black  Hawk,  I  will 
relate  them  to  you  some  day,  when  you  have  time  to  hear 
them,  as  well  as  those  of  young  Nik-ka-no-chee,  a 
Serninole. 

Austin.  We  will  not  forget  to  remind  you  of  your  pro 
mise.  It  will  be  capital  to  listen  to  these  histories. 

Hunter.  When  I  saw  Wa-s&w-me-saw,  or,  "  the  roaring 
thunder,"  the  youngest  son  of  Black  Hawk,  he  was  in  cap 
tivity.  Nah-se-us-kuk,  "  the  whirling  thunder,"  his  eldest 
son,  was  a  fine  looking  man,  beautifully  formed,  with 
a  spirit  like  that  of  a  lion.  There  was  a  war  called  The 
Black  Hawk  war,  and  Black  Hawk  was  the  leader  and 
conductor  of  it ;  and  one  of  his  most  famous  warriors  was 
Wah-pe-kee-suck,  or  "  white  cloud  ;"  he  was,  however,  as 
often  called  The  Prophet  as  the  White  Cloud.  Pam-a-ho, 
"the  swimmer;"  Wah-pa-ko-Ids-kuk,  "the  track  of  the 
bear;"  and  Pash-ce-pa-ho,  "the  little  stabbing  chief;" 
were,  I  think,  all  three  of  them  warriors  of  Black  Hawk. 

Basil.  The  Little  Stabbing  Chief!  He  must  be  a  very 
dangerous  fellow  to  go  near,  if  we  judge  by  his  name  • 
keep  away  from  him,  Austin,  if  you  go  to  the  Sacs. 

Austin.  Oh  !  he  would  never  think  of  stabbing  me.  I 
should  behave  well  to  all  the  tribes,  and  then  I  dare  sa^ 
they  would  all  of  them  behave  well  to  me.  You  have  not 
said  any  thing  of  the  Crow  Indians. 

Hunter.  I  forget  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  Crows, 
though  I  well  remember  several  of  the  Warriors  among 
them.  They  were  tall,  well-proportioned,  and  dressed 
with  a  great  deal  of  taste  and  care.  Pa-ris-ka-ro6-pa, 
called  "the  two  crows,"  had  a  head  of  hair  that  swept  the 
ground  after  him  as  he  walked  along. 

Austin.  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Basil  ?  No  doubt 
the  Crows  are  fine  fellows.  Please  to  mention  two  or 
three  more. 

Hunter.  Let  me  see;  there  was  Ee-hee-a-duck-chee-a, 
or,  "  he  who  binds  his  hair  before ;"  and  Ho-ra-to-ah, 
"a  warrior;"  and  Chah-ee-ch6pes,  "  the  four  wolves  ;"  the 


46  INDIAN    NAMES. 

hair  of  these  was  as  long  as  that  of  Pa-ris-ka-ro6-pa. 
Though  they  were  very  tall,  Ee-hee-a-duck-chee-a  being  at 
least  six  feet  high,  the  hair  of  each  of  them  readied  and 
rested  on  the  ground. 

Austin.  When  I  go  to  North  America,  the  Crow 
Indians  shall  not  be  forgotten  by  me.  I  shall  have  plenty 
to  tell  you  of,  Brian",  when  I  come  back. 

Brian.  Yes,  if  you  ever  do  come  back ;  but  what  with 
the  sea,  and  the  rivers,  and  the  swamps,  and  the  bears,  and 
the  buffaloes,  you  are  sure  to  get  killed.  You  will  never 
tell  us  about  the  Crows,  or  about  any  thing  else. 

Hunter.  There  was  one  of  the  Crows  called  The  Red 
Bear,  or  Duhk-jrits-o-ho-shee. 

Brian.  Duhk-pitch  a — Duck-pits — I  cannot  pronounce 
the  word — why  that  is  worse  to  speak  than  any. 

Austin.  Hear  me  pronounce  it  then,  Duhk-pits-o-hoot- 
she.  No  ;  that  is  not  quite  right,  but  very  near  it. 

Basil.  You  must  not  go  among  the  Crows  yet,  Austin  ; 
you  cannot  talk  well  enough. 

Hunter.  Oh,  there  are  much  harder  names  among  some 
of  the  tribes  than  those  I  have  mentioned ;  for  instance, 
there  is  Jlu-nah-kwet-to-hau-pfy-o,  "  the  one  sitting  in  the 
clouds ;"  and  Eh-tohk-pay-she-pee-shah,  k<  the  black  mocas 
sin  ;"  and  Lay-lo6-ah-pee-&i-shee-kaw,  or  "  grass,  bush,  and 
blossom  ;"  and  Kay-ee-qua-da-Mm-ee-gish-kum,  "  he  who 
tries  the  ground  with  his  foot;"  and  Shon-ga-ton-ga-chtsh- 
en-day,  "  the  horse  dung  ;"  and  Mah-to-rah-rish-nee-veh- 
ee-rah,  "the  grizzly  bear  that  runs  without  regard." 

Brian.  Why,  these  names  are  as  long  as  from  here  to 
yonder.  Set  to  work,  Austin  !  set  to  work  !  For,  if  there 
:.re  many  such  names  as  these  among  the  Indians,  you  will 
have  enough  to  do,  without  going  buffalo  hunting. 

Austin.  I  never  dreamed  that  there  were  such  names  as 
those  in  the  world. 

Basil.  Ay,  you  will  have  enough  of  them,  Austin, 
if  you  go  abroad.  You  will  never  be  able  to  learn  them, 
do  what  you  will.  Give  it  up,  Austin ;  give  it  up  at  once. 


INDIAN     NAMES. 


47 


Though  Brian  and  Basil  were  very  hard  on  Austin,  on 
their  way  home,  about  the  long  names  of  the  Indians,  and 
the  impossibility  of  his  ever  being  able  to  learn  them  by 
heart,  Austin  defended  himself  stoutly.  "Very  likely/' 
said  he,"  after  all,  they  call  these  long  names  in  short, 
just  as  we  do ;  Nat  for  Nathaniel,  Kit  for  Christopher,  and 
Elic  for  Alexander." 


WIGWAMS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Wigwams — Crow  Indians  quitting  an  encampment — Villages — Food 
— Pomme  blanche — Pemican — Marrow  fat— Fruit — Dress — Full 
dress  of  Mah-to-toh-pa,  "  the  four  bears" — Bows  and  arrows,  quiv 
ers,  tomahawks,  spears,  shields,  and  scalping  knives — Scalping — 
War  clubs — Indian  warfare — Warfare  of  white  men — Language — 
Names  of  the  sun  and  moon,  a  buffalo,  and  the  Great  Spirit,  in  dif 
ferent  languages — Indian  method  of  signing  treaties. 

HORTLY  after  the  interview  which 
we  have  just  described  Austin,  Brian, 
and  Basil  were  again  listening  to  the 
interesting  accounts  given  by  their 
friend,  the  hunter;  and  it  would 
have  been  a  difficult  point  to  decide 
if  the  listeners  derived  most  pleasure 
from  their  occupation,  or  the  narrator.  Austin  began  with 
out  delay  to  speak  of  the  Red  Indians,  the  Aborigines  of 
North  America.  "  We  want  to  know,"  said  he,  "  a  little 
more  about  what  these  people  were,  when  they  were  first 
found  out." 
48 


WIGWAMS.  49 

Hunter.  When  America  was  first  discovered,  the  inhab 
itants,  though  for  the  most  part  partaking  of  one  general 
character,  were  not  without  variety.  The  greater  part,  as 
I  told  you,  were,  both  in  hot  and  cold  latitudes,  red  men, 
with  black  hair,  and  without  beards.  They,  perhaps, 
might  have  been  divided  into  four  parts  :  the  Mexicans  and 
Peruvians,  who  were,  to  a  considerable  extent,  civilized ; 
the  Caribs,  who  inhabited  the  fertile  soil  and  luxuriant 
clime  of  the  West  Indies ;  the  Esquimaux,  who  were  then 
just  the  same  people  as  they  are  now,  living  in  the  same 
manner  by  fishing  ;  and  tfte  Red  Men,  or  North  American 
Indians. 

Jiustin.  Then  the  Esquimaux  are  not  Red  Indians. 

Hunter.  No  ;  they  are  .more  like  the  people  who  live  in 
Lapland,  and  in  the  north  of  Asia ;  and  for  this  reason,  and 
because  the  distance  across  Behring's  Straits  is  so  short,  it  is 
thought  they  came  from  Asia,  and. are  a  part  of  the  same 
people.  The  red  men  are,  however,  different ;  and  as  we 
agreed  that  I  should  tell  you  about  the  present  race  of  them, 
perhaps  I  may  as  well  proceed. 

Austin.  Yes.  Please  to  tell  us  first  of  their  wigwams, 
and  their  villages,  and  how  they  live. 

Brian.  And  what  they  eat,  and  what  clothes  they  wear. 

Basil.  And  how  they  talk  to  one  another. 

Austin.  Yes ;  and  all  about  their  spears  and  toma- 
nawks. 

Hunter.  The  wigwams  of  the  Red  Indians  are  of  differ 
ent  kinds :  some  are  extremely  simple,  being  formed  of 
high  sticks  or  poles,  covered  with  turf  or  the  bark  of  trees ; 
while  others  are  very  handsome.  The  Sioux,  the  Assinne- 
boins,  the  Blackfeet,  and  the  Crows,  form  their  wigwams 
nearly  in  the  same  manner  ;  that  is,  by  sewing  together  the 
skins  of  buffaloes,  after  properly  dressing  them,  and  making 
them  into  the  form  of  a  tent.  This  covering  is  then  sup 
ported  by  poles.  The  tent  has  a  hole  at  the  top,  to  Jet  out 
the  smoke,  and  to  let  in  the  light. 

G  5 


50  INDIAN    ENCAMPMENT. 

•Austin.  Ay,  that  is  a  better  way  of  making  a  wigwam 
than  covering  over  sticks  with  turf. 

Hunter.  The  wigwams,  or  lodges,  of  the  Mandans  are 
round.  A  circular  foundation  is  dug  about  two  feet  deep  ; 
timbers  six  feet  high  are  set  up  all  round  it,  and  on  these 
are  placed  other  long  timbers,  slanting  inwards,  and 
fastened  together  in  the  middle,  tent  fashion,  leaving 
space  for  light,  and  for  the  smoke  to  pass.  This  tent-like 
roof  is  supported  by  beams  and  upright  posts,  and  it  is 
covered  over  outwardly  by  willow  boughs  and  a  thick 
coating  of  earth ;  then  comes  'the  last  covering  of  hard 
tough  clay.  The  sun  bakes  this,  and  long  use  makes  it 
solid.  The  outside  of  a  Mandan  lodge  is  almost  as  useful 
as  the  inside ;  for  there  the  people  sit,  stand,  walk  and 
take  the  air.  These  lodges  are  forty,  fifty,  or  sixty  feet 
wide. 

Brian.  The  Mandan  wigwam  is  the  best  of  all. 

Hunter  Wigwams,  like  those  of  the  Mandans,  which 
are  always  in  the  same  place,  and  are  not  intended  to  be 
removed,  are  more  substantial  than  such  as  may  be  erected 
and  taken  down  at  pleasure.  Some  of  the  wigwams  of  the 
Crow  Indians,  covered  as  they  are  with  skins  dressed 
almost  white,  and  ornamented  with  paint,  porcupine  quills, 
and  scalp-locks,  are  very  beautiful. 

Austin.  Yes  ;  they  must  look  even  better  than  the  Man- 
dan  lodges,  and  they  can  be  taken  down  and  carried  away. 

Hunter.  It  would  surprise  you  to  witness  an  encamp 
ment  of  Crows  or  Sioux  strike  their  tents  or  wigwams. 
Before  now,  I  have  seen  an  encampment  of  several  hun 
dred  lodges  all  standing ;  which,  in  two  or  three  minutes 
after,  were  flat  upon  the  prairie. 

Austin.  Why,  it  must  be  like  magic. 

Hunter.  The  time  has  been  fixed,  preparations  made, 
the  signal  given,  and  all  at  once  the  poles  and  skin  coverings 
have  been  taken  down. 

Brian.  How  do  they  carry  the  wigwams  away  with 
them? 


INDIAN    VILLAGES.  51 

Hunter.  The  poles  are  dragged  along  by  horses  and  by 
dogs ;  the  smaller  ends  being  fastened  over  their  shoulders, 
while  on  the  larger  ends,  dragging  along  on  the  ground,  are 
placed  the  lodge-coverings,  rolled  up  together.  The  dogs 
pull  along  two  poles,  each  with  a  load,  while  the  horses  are 
taxed  according  to  their  strength.  Hundreds  of  horses  and 
dogs,  thus  dragging  their  burdens,  may  be  seen  slowly 
moving  over  the  prairie,  with  attendant  Indians  on  horse 
back,  and  women  and  girls  on  foot  heavily  laden, 

Brian.  What  a  sight !  and  what  a  length  they  must 
stretch  out ;  such  a  number  of  them  ! 

Hunter.  Some  of  their  villages  are  large,  and  fortified 
with  two  rows  of  high  poles  round  them.  A  Pawnee 
Pict  village  on  the  Red  River,  with  its  five  or  six  hundred 
beehive-like  wigwams  of  poles,  thatched  with  prairie  grass, 
much  pleased  me.  Round  the  village  there  were  fields  of 
maize,  melons,  and  pumpkins  growing.  The  villages  of 
the  Camanchees,  the  Kiawas,  and  the  Wico's,  were  inter 
esting  objects ;  and  the  dome-like  wigwams  of  the  Mandan 
villages,  and  the  tent-like  lodges  of  the  Crows,  had  a  most 
picturesque  effect.  The  Red  Indians  hunt,  fish,  and  some  of 
them  grow  corn  for  food;  but  the  flesh  of  the  buffalo  is 
what  they  most  depend  upon,  unless  it  be  the  tribes  which 
are  nearest  the  white  men;  these,  such  as  the  Creeks, 
Osages,  Otaways,  Otawas,  Winnebagoes,  and  especially  the 
Cherokees,  are  losing  the  character  of  Indians  every  day 
more  and  more,  and  adopting  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  whites. 

Austin.  How  do  the  Indians  cook  their  food  ? 

Hunter.  They  broil  or  roast  meat  and  fish,  by  laying 
them  on  the  fire,  or  on  sticks  raised  above  the  fire.  They 
boil  meat,  also,  making  of  it  a  sort  of  soup.  I  have  often 
seated  myself,  squatting  down  on  a  robe  spread  for  me,  to  a 
fine  joint  of  buffalo  ribs,  admirably  roasted ;  with,  perhaps, 
a  pudding-like  paste  of  the  "  pomme  blanche,"  or  prairie 
turnip,  flavoured  with  buffalo  berries. 


52  DRESS    OF    A    WARRIOR. 

Austin.  That  is  a  great  deal  like  an  English  dinner — 
roast  beef  and  a  pudding. 

Hunter.  The  Indians  eat  a  great  deal  of  green  corn, 
pemican,  and  marrow  fat.  The  pemican  is  buffalo  meat, 
dried  hard,  and  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar.  Marrow  fat 
is  what  is  boiled  out  of  buffalo  bones ;  it  is  usually  kept  in 
bladders.  They  eat,  also,  the  flesh  of  the  deer  and  other 
animals :  that  of  the  dog  is  reserved  for  feasts  and  especial 
occasions.  They  have,  also,  beans  and  peas,  peaches, 
melons  and  strawberries,  pears,  pumpkins,  chincapins,  wal 
nuts  and  chestnuts.  These  things  they  can  get  when  set 
tled  in  their  villages ;  but  when  wandering,  or  on  their 
war  parties,  they  take  up  what  they  can  get.  They  never 
eat  salt  with  their  food. 

Basil.  And  what  kind  of  clothes  do  they  wear  ? 

Hunter.  Principally  skins,  unless  they  trade  with  the 
whites,  in  which  case  they  buy  cloths  of  different  kinds. 
Some  wear  long  hair,  some  cut  their  hair  off  and  shave  the 
head.  Some  dress  themselves  with  very  few  ornaments, 
but  others  have  very  many.  Shall  I  describe  to  you  the  full 
dress  of  M&h-to-toh-pa,  "the  four  bears." 

•ftustin.  Oh,  yes ;  every  thing  belonging  to  him. 

Hunter.  You  must  imagine,  then,  that  he  is  standing  up 
before  you,  while  I  describe  him,  not  a  little  proud  of  his 
costly  attire. 

•ftustin.  I  fancy  that  I  can  see  him  now. 

Hunter.  His  robe  was  the  soft  skin  of  a  young  buffalo 
bull.  On  one  side  was  the  fur ;  on  the  other,  the  victories 
he  had  won  were  set  forth.  His  shirt,  or  tunic,  was  made 
of  the  skins  of  mountain  sheep,  ornamented  with  porcupine 
quills  and  paintings  of  his  battles.  From  the  edge  of  his 
shoulder-band  hung  the  long  black  locks  that  he  had  taken 
with  his  own  hand  from  his  enemies.  His  head-dress  was 
of  war-eagle  quills,  falling  down  his  back  to  his  very  feet ; 
on  the  top  of  it  stood  a  pair  of  buffalo  horns,  shaven  thin, 
and  polished  beautifully. 

Brian.  What  a  figure  he  must  have  been  ! 


MAH-TO-TOH-PA,    SECOND   CHIEF   OF   THE    MANDANS. 


53 


DRESS    OF    A    WARRIOR.  55 

Hunter.  His  leggings  were  tight,  decorated  with  porcu 
pine  quills  and  scalp  locks :  they  were  made  of  the  finest 
deer  skins,  and  fastened  to  a  belt  round  the  waist.  His  mo 
cassins,  or  shoes,  were  buckskin,  embroidered  in  the  richest 
manner ;  and  his  necklace,  the  skin  of  an  otter,  had  on  it  fifty 
huge  claws,  or  rather  talons,  of  the  grizzly  bear. 

Austin.  What  a  desperate  fellow  f  bold  as  a  lion,  I  will 
be  bound  for  it.  Had  he  no  arms  about  him  ? 

Hunter.  Oh,  yes!  He  held  in  his  left  hand  a  two-edged 
spear  of  polished  steel,  with  a  shaft  of  tough  ash,  and  orna 
mented  with  tufts  of  war-eagle  quills.  His  bow,  beautifully 
white,  was  formed  of  bone,  strengthened  with  the  sinews  of 
deer,  drawn  tight  over  the  back  of  it ;  the  bow-string  was 
a  three-fold  twist  of  sinews.  Seldom  had  its  twang  been 
heard,  without  an  enemy  or  a  buffalo  falling  to  the  earth ; 
and  rarely  had  that  lance  been  urged  home,  without  finding 
its  way  to  some  victim's  heart. 

Austin.  I  thought  he  was  a  bold  fellow. 

Hunter.  He  had  a  costly  shield  of  the  hide  of  a  buffalo, 
stiffened  with  glue  and  fringed  round  with  eagle  quills  and 
antelope  hoofs ;  and  a  quiver  of  panther  skin,  well  filled 
with  deadly  shafts.  Some  of  their  points  were  flint,  and 
some  were  steel,  and  most  of  them  were  stained  with  blood. 
He  carried  a  pipe,  a  tobacco  sack,  a  belt,  and  a  medicine 
bag  ;  and  in  his  right  hand  he  held  a  war  club  like  a  sling, 
being  made  of  a  round  stone  wrapped  up  in  raw  hide  and 
fastened  to  a  tough  stick  handle. 

Austin.  What  sort  of  a  pipe  was  it  ? 

Basil.  What  was  in  his  tobacco  sack  ? 

Brian.  You  did  not  say  what  his  belt  was  made  of. 

Hunter.  His  pipe  was  made  of  a  red  pipe-stone,  and  it 
had  a  stem  of  young  ash,  full  three  feet  long,  braided  with 
porcupine  quills  in  the  shape  of  animals  and  men.  It  was 
also  ornamented  with  the  beaks  of  woodpeckers,  and  hairs 
from  the  tail  of  the  white  buffalo.  One  thing  I  ought  not 
to  omit;  on  the  lower  half  of  the  pipe  which  was  painted 
red,  were  notched  the  snows,  or  years  of  his  life.  By  this 


56  SCALPING. 

simple  record  of  their  lives,  the  red  men  of  the  forest  ar  1 
the  prairie  may  be  led  to  something  like  reflection.  "  \\  ^ 
are  but  of  yesterday,  and  know  nothing,  because  our  days 
upon  earth  are  a  shadow,"  Job  viii.  9. 

JBasil.  What  was  in  his  tobacco  sack  ? 

Hunter.  His  flint  and  steel,  for  striking  a  light ;  as  well 
as  his  tobacco,  which  was  nothing  more  than  bark  of  the 
red  willow.  His  medicine  bag  was  beaver  skin,  adorned 
with  ermine  and  hawks' tills;  and  his  belt,  in  which  he 
carried  his  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife,  was  formed 
of  tough  buckskin,  firmly  fastened  round  his  loins. 

Austin.  Please  to  tell  us  about  the  scalping  knife.  It 
must  be  a  fearful  instrument. 

Hunter.  All  instruments  of  cruelty,  vengeance,  and  de 
struction  are  fearful,  whether  in  savage  or  civilized  life. 
What  are  we,  that  wrath,  and  revenge,  and  covetousness 
should  be  fostered  in  our  hearts !  What  is  man,  that  he 
should  shed  the  blood  of  his  brother  !  Before  the  Indians  had 
dealing  with  the  whites,  they  made  their  own  weapons : 
their  bows  were  strung  with  the  sinews  of  deer;  their 
arrows  were  headed  with  flint ;  their  knives  were  of 
sharpened  bone ;  their  war-clubs  were  formed  of  wood,  cut 
into  different  shapes,  and  armed  with  sharp  stones;  and 
their  tomahawks,  or  hatchets,  were  of  the  same  materials  : 
but  now,  many  of  their  weapons,  such  as  hatchets,  spear 
heads,  and  knives,  are  made  of  iron,  being  procured  from 
the  whites,  in  exchange  for  the  skins  they  obtain  in 
the  chase.  A  scalping  knife  is  oftentimes  no  other  than  a 
rudely  formed  butcher's  knife,  with  one  edge,  made  in 
England  and  sold  to  the  Indians;  others  are  made  in 
America;  and  the  Indians  wear  them  in  beautiful  scab 
bards  under  their  belts. 

Austin.  How  does  a  Red  Indian  scalp  his  enemy  ? 

Hunter.  The  hair  on  the  crown  of  the  head  is  seized 
with  the  left  hand;  the  knife  makes  a  circle  round  it 
through  the  skin,  and  then  the  hair  and  skin  together,  some 
times  with  the  hand,  and  sometimes  with  the  teeth, 


CLUBS     AND    TOMAHAWKS. 


57 


are  forcibly  torn  off.  The  scalp  may  be,  perhaps,  as  broad 
as  my  hand. 

Brian.  Terrible  !  Scalping  would  be  sure  to  kill  a  man, 
I  suppose. 

Hunter.  Scalps  are  war  trophies,  and  are  generally 
regarded  as  proofs  of  the  death  of  those  who  wore  them ; 
but  an  Indian,  inflamed  with  hatred  and  rage,  and  excited 
by  victory,  will  not  always  wait  till  his  foe  has  expired  be 
fore  he  scalps  him.  The  hair,  as  well  as  the  scalp,  of 
a  fallen  foe  is  carried  oif  by  the  victorious  Indian,  and  with 
it  his  clothes  are  afterwards  ornamented.  It  is  said,  that, 
during  the  old  French  war,  an  Indian  slew  a  Frenchman 
who  wore  a  wig.  The  warrior  stooped  down,  and  seized 
the  hair  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  scalp.  To  his 
great  astonishment,  the  wig  came  off,  leaving  the  head 
bare.  The  Indian  held  it  up,  and  examining  it  with  great 
wonder,  exclaimed,  in  broken  English,  "Dat  one  big  lie." 

Brian.  How  the  Indian  would  stare  ! 

Basil.  He  had  never  seen  a  wig  before,  I  dare  say. 


cr.,  Scalping  knife.     6,   Ditto,  in  sheath. 
c,  <7,  War  clubs,     e,  et  Tomahawks,    g,  Whip. 

Hunter.  The  arms  of  Indians,  offensive  and  defensive 

are,  for  the  most  part,  those  which  I  have  mentioned — the 

club,  the  tomahawk,  the  bow  and  arrow,  the  spear,  the 

shield,  and  the  scalping  knife ;  but  the  use  of  fire-arms  is 

H 


58    TOMAHAWKS,   ARROWS,   AND    SHIELDS. 

gradually  extending  among  some  of  their  tribes.  Some  of 
their  clubs  are  merely  massy  pieces  of  hard,  heavy  wood, 
nicely  fitted  to  the  hand,  with,  perhaps,  a  piece  of  hard 
bone  stuck  in  the  head  part ;  others  are  curiously  carved 
into  fanciful  and  uncouth  shapes ;  while,  occasionally,  may 
be  seen  a  frightful  war  club,  knobbed  all  over  with  brass 
nails,  with  a  steel  blade  at  the  end  of  it  a  span  long. 

Austin.  What  a  terrible  weapon,  when  wielded  by 
a  savage  ! 

Brian.  I  would  not  go  among  the  Indians,  with  their 
clubs  and  tomahawks,  for  a  thousand  pounds. 

Basil.  Nor  I  either :  they  would  be  sure  to  kill  me. 

Hunter.  The  tomahawk  is  often  carved  in  a  strange 
manner ;  and  some  of  the  bows  and  arrows  are  admirable. 
The  bow  formed  of  bone  and  strong  sinews  is  a  deadly 
weapon ;  and  some  Indians  have  boasted  of  having  sent 
an  arrow  from  its  strings  right  through  the  body  of 
a  buffalo. 

Austin.  What  a  strong  arm  that  Indian  must  have  had ! 
Through  a  buffalo's  body? 

Hunter.  The  quiver  is  made  of  the  skin  of  the  panther, 
or  the  otter  ;  and  some  of  the  arrows  it  contains  are  usually 
poisoned. 

Brian.  Why,  then,  an  arrow  is  sure  to  kill  a  person,  if 
it  hits  him. 

Hunter.  It  is  not  likely  that  an  enemy,  badly  wounded 
with  a  poisoned  arrow,  will  survive ;  for  the  head  is  set  on 
loosely,  in  order  that,  when  the  arrow  is  withdrawn,  the 
poisoned  barb  may  remain  in  the  wound.  How  opposed 
are  these  cruel  stratagems  of  war  to  the  precepts  of 
the  gospel  of  peace,  which  says,  "  Love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you, 
and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  perse 
cute  you  !"  Matt.  v.  44. 

Basil.  What  will  you  do,  Austin,  if  you  go  among  the 
Indians,  and  they  shoot  you  with  a  poisoned  arrow  ? 


MODE   OF   WARFARE.  59 

•Austin.  Oh,  I  shall  carry  a  shield.  You  heard  that  the 
Indians  carry  shields. 

Hunter.  The  shields  of  the  Crows  and  Blackfeet  are 
made  of  the  thick  skin  of  the  buffalo's  neck:  they  are 
made  as  hard  as  possible,  by  smoking  them,  and  by  putting 
glue  upon  them  obtained  from  the  hoofs  of  animals;  so 
that  they  will  not  only  turn  aside  an  arrow,  but  a  musket 
ball,  if  they  are  held  a  little  obliquely. 

Jiustin.  There,  Basil !  You  see  that  I  shall  be  safe,  after 
all ;  for  I  shall  carry  a  large  shield,  and  the  very  hardest  I 
can  get  anywhere. 

Hunter.  Their  spears  have  long,  slender  handles,  with 
steel  heads  :  the  handles  are  as  much  as  a  dozen  feet  long, 
or  more,  and  very  skilful  are  they  in  the  use  of  them ;  and 
yet,  such  is  the  dread  of  the  Indian  when  opposed  to  a 
white  man,  that,  in  spite  of  his  war  horse  and  his  eagle 
plumes,  his  bow  and  well-filled  quiver,  his  long  lance,  toma 
hawk,  and  scalping  knife,  his  self-possession  forsakes  him. 
He  has  heard,  if  not  seen,  what  the  white  man  has  done ; 
and  he  thinks  there  is  no  standing  against  him.  If  he  can 
surprise  him,  he  will ;  but,  generally,  the  red  man  fears  to 
grapple  with  a  pale  face  in  the  strife  of  war,  for  he  con 
siders  him  clothed  with  an  unknown  power. 

Austin.  I  should  have  thought  that  a  Red  Indian  would 
be  more  than  a  match  for  a  white  man. 

Hunter.  So  long  as  he  can  crawl  in  the  grass  or  brush 
wood,  and  steal  silently  upon  him  by  surprise,  or  send  a 
shaft  from  his  bow  from  behind  a  tree,  or  a  bullet  from  his 
rifle  from  the  brow  of  a  bluff,  he  has  an  advantage ;  but, 
when  he  comes  face  to  face  with  the  white  man,  he  is  super- 
stitiously  afraid  of  him.  The  power  of  the  white  man,  in 
war,  is  that  of  bravery  and  skill;  the  power  of  the  red  man 
consists  much  in  stratagem  and  surprise.  Fifty  white  men, 
armed  on  an  open  plain,  would  beat  off  a  hundred  red 
men. 

Brian.  Why  is  it  that  the  red  men  are  always  fighting 


60  INDIAN    NAMES. 

one  against  another  ?  They  are  all  brothers,  and  what  is  the 
use  of  their  killing  one  another  ? 

Hunter.  Most  of  the  battles  among  the  Red  Indians,  are 
brought  about  by  the  belief  that  they  are  bound  to  revenge 
an  injury  to  their  tribe.  There  can  be  no  peace  till 
revenge  is  satisfied  ;  they  are  almost  always  retaliating  one 
on  another.  Then,  again,  the  red  men  have  too  often  been 
tempted,  bribed,  and,  in  some  cases,  forced  to  fight  for  the 
white  man. 

Brian.  That  is  very  sad,  though. 

Hunter.  It  is  sad;  but  when  you  say  red  men  are 
brothers,  are  not  white  men  brothers  too  ?  And  yet,  though 
they  have  been  instructed  in  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and 
the  gospel  of  peace,  which  red  men  have  not,  how  ready 
they  are  to  draw  the  sword  !  War  springs  from  sin  ;  and 
until  sin  is  subdued  in  the  human  heart,  war  will  ever  be 
dear  to  it. 

•ftustin.  What  do  the  Indians  call  the  sun  ? 

Hunter.  The  different  tribes  speak  different  languages, 
and  therefore  you  must  tell  me  which  of  them  you  mean. 

Austin.  Oh  !  I  forgot  that.  Tell  me  what  two  or  three 
of  the  tribes  call  it. 

Hunter.  A  Sioux  calls  it  wee  ;  a  Mandan,  menahka  ;  a 
Tuskarora,  hiday  ;  and  a  Blackfoot,  cristeque  ahtose. 

Austin.  The  Blackfoot  is  the  hardest  to  remember.  I 
should  not  like  to  learn  that  language. 

Brian.  But  you  must  learn  it,  if  you  go  among  them ; 
or  else  you  will  not  understand  a  word  they  say. 

Jlustin.  Well  I  shall  manage  it  somehow  or  other. 
Perhaps  some  of  them  may  know  English;  or  we  may 
make  motions  one  to  another.  What  do  they  call  the 
moon  ? 

Hunter.  A  Blackfoot  calls  it  coque  ahtose ;  a  Sioux,  on 
wee  ;  a  Riccaree,  wetah  ;  a  Mandan,  esto  menahka  ;  and 
a  Tuskarora,  autsunyehaw. 

Brian.  I  wish  you  joy  of  the  languages  you  have  to 
learn,  Austin,  if  you  become  a  wood-ranger,  or  a  trapper. 


INDIAN    NAMES.  61 

Remember,  you  must  learn  them  all ;  and  you  will  have 
quite  enough  to  do,  I  warrant  you. 

•ftustin.  Oh  !  I  shall  learn  a  little  at  a  time.  We  cannot 
do  every  thing  at  once.  What  do  the  red  men  call  a 
buffalo  ? 

Hunter.  In  Riccaree,  it  is  watash  ;  in  Mandan,  ptem- 
day  ;  in  Tuskarora,  hohats  ;  in  Blackfoot,  eneuh. 

Basil.  What  different  names  they  give  them  ! 

Hunter.  Yes.  In  some  instances  they  are  alike,  but 
generally  they  differ.  If  you  were  to  say  "  How  do  you 
do  ?"  as  is  the  custom  in  England  ;  you  must  say  among  the 
Indians,  How  ke  che  wa  ?  Chee  na  e  num  ?  Dati  yoothay 
its  ?  or  Tush  hah  thah  mah  kah  hush  ?  according  to  the 
language  in  which  you  spoke.  I  hardly  think  these  lan 
guages  would  suit  you  so  well  as  your  own. 

Brian.  They  would  never  suit  me ;  but  Austin  must 
learn  every  bit  of  them.  I  never  heard  such  outlandish 
talk  before. 

Austin.  I  want  to  know  the  names  that  the  Indians  give 
to  the  Great  Spirit. 

Hunter.  The  names  given  by  the  Sioux,  the  Tuskaroras, 
the  Mandans,  and  the  Riccarees,  are  Wokon  shecha  ;  Ye 
wunni  yoh  ;  Mah  ho  peneta  ;  and  Ka  ke  wa  rooh  teh. 

•Austin.  Please  to  tell  us  a  few  more  words  of  different 
kinds ;  such  as  bear  and  beaver,  bow  and  lance,  pipe  and 
tobacco,  and  a  brave. 

Hunter.  In  Tuskarora,  a  bear  is  jotakry  yukuh ;  a 
bow  awrow  ;  and  a  quiver,  yonats  ronar  hoost  pah.  In 
Sioux,  a  beaver  is  chapa  ;  a  pipe,  tehon  de  oopa ;  and 
tobacco,  tchondee.  In  Mandan,  a  wigwam  is  ote  ;  a  brave, 
numohkharica  ;  and  a  lance,  monna  etorook  shoka.  In 
Riccaree,  a  white  buffalo  is  tohn  hah  tah  ka ;  a  wolf, 
steerich  ;  and  a  war  eagle,  nix  war  roo.  And  now,  I  think 
that  I  have  told  you  quite  as  much  of  the  Indian  languages 
as  you  will  remember. 

Brian.  We  shall  never  remember  one  half  of  it ;  no,  nor 
a  quarter ! ' 

6 


62  INDIAN    WRITING. 

Basil.  I  can  only  remember  that  chapa  is  a  beaver. 

Austin.  Well  done,  Basil ;  I  had  forgotten  that.  But 
please  to  tell  us  how1  to  count  Ten,  and  then  we  will  ask 
you  no  more  about  languages.  Let  it  be  in  the  language  of 
the  Riccarees. 

Hunter.  Yery  well.  Jlsco,  pitco,  tow  wit,  tehee  tish, 
tehee  hoo,  tcha  pis,  to  tcha  pis,  to  tcha  pis  won,  nah  e  ne, 
ivon,  nah  en.  I  will  just  add,  that  weetah,  is  twenty ; 
nahen  tehee  hoo,  is  fifty ;  nah  en  te  tcha  pis  won,  is  eighty ; 
shok  tan,  is  a  hundred ;  and  sho  tan  tera  hoo,  is  a  thou 
sand. 

Austin.  Can  the  Red  Indians  write  ? 

Hunter.  Oh,  no  ;  they  have  no  use  for  pen  and  ink,  ex 
cepting  some  of  the  tribes  near  the  whites.  In  many 
of  the  different  treaties  which  have  been  made  between  the 
white  and  the  red  man,  the  latter  has  put,  instead  of  his 
name,  a  rough  drawing  of  the  animal  or  thing  after  which 
he  had  been  called.  If  the  Indian  chief  was  named  "  War 
hatchet,"  he  made  a  rough  outline  of  a  tomahawk.  If  his 
name  was  "  The  great  buffalo,"  then  the  outline  of  a 
buffalo  was  his  signature. 

Basil.  Well,  how  curious  ! 

Hunter.  The  Big  turtle,  the  Fish,  the  Scalp,  the 
Jirrow,  and  the  Big  canoe,  all  drew  the  form  represented 
by  their  names  in  the  same  manner.  If  you  were  to  see 
these  signatures,  you  would  not  run  into  the  error  of 
thinking  that  these  Indian  chiefs  had  ever  taken  lessons  in 
the  art  of  drawing. 

Brian.  I  dare  say  their  fish,  and  arrows,  and  hatchets, 
and  turtles,  and  buffaloes,  are  comical  things. 

Hunter.  Yes :  but  the  hands  that  make  thSse  feeble 
scrawls  are  strong,  when  they  wield  the  bow  or  the  toma 
hawk.  A  white  man  in  the  Indian  country,  according  to  a 
story  that  is  told,  met  a  Shawanos  riding  a  horse,  which  he 
recognised  as  his  own,  and  claimed  it  from  him  as  his  pro 
perty.  The  Indian  calmly  answered :  "Friend,  after  a  little 
while  I  will  call  on  you  at  your  house,  when  we  will  talk 


INDIAN    AND   HIS   HORSE  63 

this  matter  over."  A  few  days  afterwards,  the  Indian 
came  to  the  white  man's  house,  who  insisted  on  having  his 
horse  restored  to  him.  The  other  then  told  him :  "  Friend, 
the  horse  which  you  claim  belonged  to  my  uncle,  who 
lately  died  ;  according  to  the  Indian  custom,  I  have  become 
heir  to  all  his  property."  The  white  man  not  being  satis 
fied,  and  renewing  his  demand,  the  Indian  immediately 
took  a  coal  from  the  fire-place,  and  made  two  striking 
figures  on  the  door  of  the  house  ;  the  one  representing  the 
white  man  taking  the  horse,  and  the  other  himself  in  the 
act  of  scalping  him:  then  he  coolly  asked  the  trembling 
claimant  whether  he  could  read  this  Indian  writing.  The 
matter  was  thus  settled  at  once,  and  the  Indian  rode  oft'. 

Austin.  Ay ;  the  white  man  knew  that  he  had  better 
give  up  the  horse  than  be  scalped. 

After  the  hunter  had  told  Austin  and  his  brothers  that  he 
should  be  sure  to  have  something  to  tell  them  on  their  next 
visit,  they  took  their  departure,  having  quite  enough  to 
occupy  their  minds  till  they  reached  home. 


INDIAN    CHIEF. 


BLACK   HAWK. 

•       CHAPTER  V. 

The  history  of  Black  Hawk — Na-nd-ma-kee's  dream — Black  Hawk's 
birth  place — Becomes  a  brave — Fights  against  the  Osages — His 
father  killed — Destroys  forty  lodges  of  the  Osages — Sac  chiefs  go 
to  St.  Louis — Strong  drink  given  them,  and  they  sign  away  land 
of  the  Sacs'  nation — American  whites  deceive  the  Sacs,  and  Black 
Hawk  joins  the  British — His  battles — He  returns  home — Kee-o-kuk 
made  chief— Black  Hawk  again  goes  to  war — He  gives  himself  up  to 
the  Americans — A  buffalo  hunt. 

OUDLY  did    Austin    Ed 
wards       exclaim     "  Black 
Hawk  !  Black  Hawk  !"  as 
he    came  in   sight    of   the    hunter, 
who  was  just  returning  to  his  cottage 
as  Austin  and  his  brothers  reached 
it.     "  You  promised  to  tell   us   all 
about  Black  Hawk,  and  we  are  come 
to  hear  it  now." 


HISTORY    OF    BLACK    HAWK.  65 

The  hunter  told  the  boys  that  it  had  been  his  intention  to 
talk  with  them  about  the  prairies  and  bluffs,  and  to  have 
described  the  wondrous  works  of  God  in  the  wilderness,  of 
which  it  might  literally  be  said,  strown  as  they  were  with 
fruits  and  flowers,  "  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place 
shall  be  glad  for  them;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and 
blossom  as  the  rose,"  Isa.  xxxv.  1.  It  appeared,  however, 
that  Austin's  heart,  was  too  much  set  on  hearing  the  history 
of  Black  Hawk,  to  listen  patiently  to  any  thing  else  ;  and 
the  hunter,  perceiving  this,  willingly  agreed  to  gratify  him. 
He  told  them,  that,  in  reading  or  hearing  the  history 
of  Indian  chiefs,  they  must  not  be  carried  away  by  false 
notions  of  their  valour,  for  that  it  was  always  mingled  with 
much  cruelty.  The  word  of  God  said  truly,  that  « the  dark 
places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty," 
Psa.  Ixxiv.  20.  "  With  untaught  Indians,"  continued  he, 
"  revenge  is  virtue  ;  and  to  tomahawk  an  enemy,  and  tear 
away  his  scalp,  the  noblest  act  he  can  perform  in  his  own 
estimation ;  whereas  Christians  are  taught,  as  1  said  before, 
to  forgive  and  love  their  enemies.  But  I  will  now  begin 
the  history  of  Black  Hawk." 

Austin.  Suppose  you  tell  us  his  history  just  as  he  would 
tell  it  himself.  Speak  to  us  as  if  you  were  Black  Hawk, 
and  we  will  not  utter  a  single  word. 

Hunter.  Very  well.  Then  for  a  while,  I  will  be  Black 
Hawk,  and  what  I  tell  you  will  be  true,  only  the  words 
will  be  my  own,  instead  of  those  of  the  Indian  chief.  Now, 
then,  I  will  be  Black  Hawk,  and  speak  as  if  I  spoke  to 
American  white  men. — "  I  am  an  old  man,  the  changes  of 
many  moons  and  the  toils  of  war  have  made  me  old.  I 
have  been  a  conqueror,  and  I  have  been  conquered :  many 
moons  longer  I  cannot  hope  to  live. 

"  I  have  hated  the  whites,  but  have  been  treated  well  by 
them  when  a  prisoner.  I  wish,  before  I  go  my  long  jour 
ney,  at  the  command  of  the  Great  Spirit,  to  the  hunting 
grounds  of  my  fathers  in  another  world,  to  tell  my  history ; 
it  will  then  be  seen  why  I  hated  the  whites.  Bold  and 
I  6* 


66  HIS    PARENTAGE. 

proud  was  I  once,  in  my  native  forests,  but  the  pale  faces 
deceived  me  ;  it  was  for  this  that  I  hated  them. 

"Would  you  know  where  I  was  born?  I  will  tell  you. 
It  was  at  the  Sac  village  on  Rock  River.  This  was  accor 
ding  to  white  man's  reckoning,  in  the  year  1767,  so  that  I 
am  fifty  years  old,  and  ten  and  seven. 

«  My  father's  name  was  Py-e-sa  ;  the  father  of  his  father 
was  Na-na-ma-kee,  or  thunder.  I  was  a  brave,  and  after 
wards  a  chief,  a  leading  war-chief,  carrying  the  medicine 
bag.  I  fought  against  the  Osages.  Did  I  fear  them?  No. 
Did  I  often  win  the  victory  ?  I  did. 

"  The  white  men  of  America  said  to  the  Sacs  and  Foxes, 
to  the  Sioux,  the  Chippewas,  and  Winnebagoes,  <  Go  you 
to  the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi ;'  and  they  said,  <  Yes.' 
But  I  said, i  No  :  why  should  I  leave  the  place  where  our 
wigwams  stand,  where  we  have  hunted  for  so  many  moons, 
and  where  the  bones  of  our  fathers  have  rested  ?  Ma-ka- 
tai-me-she-kia-kiak,  or  Black  Hawk,  will  not  go.5 

"  My  heart  told  me  that  my  great  white  father,  the  chief 
of  America,  would  not  do  wrong ;  would  not  make  me  go 
to  the  other  side  of  the  river.  My  prophet  also  told  me  the 
same.  I  felt  my  arm  strong,  and  I  fought.  Never  did  the 
hand  of  Black  Hawk  kill  woman  or  child.  They  were 
warriors  that  Black  Hawk  fought  with. 

"  Many  moons  before  I  or  my  father  hunted  in  the  forest, 
or  on  the  prairie,  Na-na-ma-kee,  my  great  grandfather,  had 
a  dream  many  times,  that  he  should  some  day  meet  with  a 
white  father.  He  believed  the  dream,  and  went  with  his 
brothers  Pau-ka-hum-ma-wa,  or  Sun-fish,  and  Na-mah,  or 
Sturgeon,  to  meet  with  his  white  father. 

"  They  went  on  for  five  days  to  the  left  of  sunrise,  and 
then  Na-na-ma-kee  told  them  to  go  on  and  listen,  and  if 
they  heard  any  thing  to  set  up  a  pole  with  grass  on  it.  They 
went  on,  heard  a  noise,  set  up  the  pole,  and  came  back  for 
Na-na-ma-kee,  who  went  with  them.  He  then  went  on 
alone,  and  met  his  great  white  father. 

«  He  was  much  astonished,  for  his  white  father  told  him 


BLACK  HAWK  BECOMES  A  BRAVE.   67 

that  he  was  son  of  the  king  of  France,  and  gave  him  pre 
sents  ;  and  said  that  on  their  return  to  their  tribe,  he  must 
be  their  chief,  and  his  brothers  under  chiefs.  He  gave  Na- 
na-ma-kee  guns,  and  powder  and  lead,  and  spears ;  and  told 
him  how  the  guns  were  to  be  used  against  enemies  and  in 
hunting ;  and  he  gave  his  brothers  cooking  vessels  and  other 
things.  «  It  is  the  will  of  the  Great  Spirit/  said  his  great 
white  father,  <  that  Na-na-ma-kee  shall  be  chief  of  his  peo 
ple,  and  a  great  general/ 

"  When  Na-ria-ma-kee  went  back  with  his  brothers,  his 
tribe  made  him  their  chief,  and  gave  him  the  medicine  bag  ; 
and  for  many  moons  they  had  dealings  with  their,  great 
white  French  father,  giving  him  their  peltries  and  furs,  and 
taking  for  them  arms,  and  vessels,  and  other  things. 

"At  last  the  British  white  men  beat  away  the  French, 
and  our  people  had  a  British  white  father,  who  gave  them 
goods.  But  the  other  tribes  went  to  war  with  our  people, 
and  the  tomahawk,  and  the  spear,  and  the  gun  had  plenty 
to  do.  Our  people  joined  with  the  Foxes,  and  at  last,  after 
being  beaten  to  the  river  Wisconsin,  they  went  down  the 
Rock  River,  drove  away  the  Kas»-kas-kias,  and  built  a  vil 
lage  ;  in  that  village  Black  Hawk  was  born. 

"Though  I  came  down  from  the  chief  Na-na-ma-kee, 
yet  my  people  would  riot  let  me  dress  like  a  chief.  I  did 
not  paint  myself ;  I  did  not  wear  feathers  ;  but  I  was  bold 
and  not  afraid  to  fight,  so  I  became  a  brave. 
'  "  The  Osages  were  our  enemies,  and  I  went  with  my 
father  and  many  more  to  fight.  I  saw  my  father  kill  an 
enemy,  and  tear  away  the  scalp  from  his  head.  I  felt  deter 
mined  to  do  the  same.  I  pleased  my  father ;  for,  with  my 
tomahawk  and  spear,  I  rushed  on  an  enemy.  I  brought 
back  his  scalp  in  my  hand. 

"  1  next  led  on  seven  of  our  people  against  a  hundred 
Osages,  and  killed  one.  After  that,  I  led  on  two  hundred, 
when  we  killed  a  hundred,  and  took  many  scalps.  In  a 
battle  with  the  Cherokees  my  father  was  killed.  I  painted 
my  face  black,  and  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  did  not 


68        BLACK    HAWK  AND    THE   AMERICANS. 

fight  any  more  for  five  years ;  all  that  I  did  was  to  hunt 
and  to  fish. 

"  The  Osages  had  done  us  great  wrong,  so  we  were  de 
termined  to  destroy  them.  I  set  off,  in  the  third  moon,  at  the 
head  of  five  hundred  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  one  hundred 
loways.  We  fell  upon  forty  lodges.  I  made  two  of  their 
squaws  prisoners,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  people  in  the  lodges 
we  killed.  Black  Hawk  killed  seven  men  himself.  In  a 
battle  with  the  Cherokees,  I  killed  thirteen  of  their  bravest 
with  my  own  hand. 

"  One  of  our  people  killed  a  pale-face  American,  and  he 
was  put  in  prison ;  so  we  sent  Quash-qua-me,  Pa-she-pa-ho, 
06-che-qua-ka,  and  Ha-she-quar-hi-qua  to  St.  Louis,  to  pay 
for  the  killed  man,  and  to  cover  the  blood.  Did  the  pale 
faces  do  well  ?  No,  they  did  not ;  they  set  our  man  free, 
but  when  he  began  to  run  they  shot  him  down ;  and  they 
gave  strong  drink  to  our  four  people,  and  told  them  to  give 
up  the  best  part  of  our  hunting  ground  for  a  thousand  dol 
lars  every  twelve  moons.  What  right  had  they  to  give  our 
men  strong  drink,  and  then  cheat  them  ?  None. 

"American  white  faces  came  with  great,  big  gun,  to 
build  a  fort,  and  said  it  was  to  trade  with  us.  They  treated 
the  Indians  ill :  we  went  against  the  fort.  I  dug  a  hole  in 
the  ground  with  my  knife,  so  that  I  could  hide  myself  with 
some  grass.  I  shot  with  my  rifle  and  cut  the  cord  of  their 
flag,  so  that  they  could  not  pull  it  up  to  fly  in  the  air ;  and 
we  fired  the  fort,  but  they  put  out  the  fire. 

"The  American  pale  faces  and  the  British  pale  faces 
went  to  war.  I  knew  not  what  to  do  when  the  British 
held  talks  with  us.  We  did  not  like  the  Americans ;  they 
never  did  the  same  as  they  said  ;  but  the  British  did  better. 

"  One  of  our  people  killed  a  white,  and  was  taken.  He 
was  to  die,  but  asked  leave  to  go  and  see  his  squaw  and 
children.  They  let  him  go,  but  he  ran  back  through  the 
prairies  next  day,  in  time  to  be  shot  down.  He  did  not  say 
he  would  come  back  and  then  stay ;  he  was  an  Indian,  and 


BLACK    HAWK    AND    THE    BRITISH.         69 

not  an  American.  I  hunted  and  fished  for  his  squaw  and 
children  when  he  was  dead. 

"  Why  was  it  that  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  keep  the  white 
men  where  he  put  them  ?  Why  did  he  let  them  come  among 
my  people  with  their  fire-drink,  sickness,  and  guns  ?  It  had 
been  better  £or  red  men  to  be  by  themselves. 

•«  Now  hearken  to  Black  Hawk,  for  he  speaks  the  truth. 
Our  great  American  father  told  some  of  our  people,  who 
went  to  him  in  Washington,  that  he  wished  us  neither  to 
fight  for  him,  nor  for  the  British.  They  told  him  that  the 
British  let  them  have  goods  at  the  fall,  that  we  might  be  able 
to  hunt  and  pay  for  them  after.  <  You  shall  have  goods/ 
said  he,  <  at  Fort  Madison,  in  the  way  the  British  let  you 
have  them.'  But,  when  we  went  to  the  fort,  they  would 
not  let  us  have  any.  'What  could  we  do?  Was  not  this  de 
ceiving  us  ?  Was  not  this  making  us  go  over  to  the  British  ? 
It  was. 

"  A  British  trader  landed  at  Rock  Island,  and  sent  us 
word  that  he  had  presents  and  good  news  for  us,  and  he 
sent  us  pipes  and  tobacco.  Often  has  Black  Hawk  seen  the 
prairie  on  fire  :  this  news  was  just  like  it ;  it  ran  fast.  We 
went  to  the  trader,  he  was  not  like  the  Americans ;  he  did 
what  he  said  ;  he  gave  us  a  keg  of  rum,  and  let  us  have  a^ 
his  goods,  to  be  paid  for  with  furs  and  peltries  when  the 
spring  came.  Guns  were  fired,  the  British  flag  was  then 
run  up  high,  flying  in  the  wind. 

u  We  went  fo  a  great  English  brave,  Colonel  Dixon,  at 
Green  Bay  :  there  were  many  Potowatemies,  Kickapoos, 
Ottowas,  and  Winnebagoes  there.  The  great  brave  gave 
us  pipes,  tobacco,  new  guns,  powder  and  clothes.  I  held  a 
talk  with  him  in  his  tent;  he  took  my  hand.  « General 
Black  Hawk,'  said  he,  and  he  put  a  medal  round  my  neck, 
'  you  must  now  hold  us  fast  by  the  hand ;  you  will  have 
the  command  of  all  the  braves  to  join  our  own  braves  at 
Detroit.'  I  was  sorry,  because  I  wanted  to  go  to  Missis 
sippi.  But  he  said,  (  No ;  you  are  too  brave  to  kill  women 
and  children :  you  must  kill  braves/ 


70  WAR   EXCURSIONS. 

»<  We  had  a  feast,  and  I  led  away  five  hundred  braves  to 
join  the  British.  Sometimes,  we  won,  and  sometimes  we 
lost.  The  Indians  were  killing  the  prisoners,  but  Black 
Hawk  stopped  them.  He  is  a  coward  who  kills  a  brave 
that  has  no  arms  and  cannot  fight.  I  did  not  like  so  often 
to  be  beaten  in  battle,  and  to  get  no  plunder.  I  left  the 
British,  with  twenty  of  my  braves,  to  go  home,  and  see 
after  my  wife  and  children. 

« I  found  an  old  friend  of  mine  sitting  on  a  mat  in 
sorrow;  he  had  come  to  be  alone,  and  to  make  himself 
little  before  the  Great  Spirit :  he  had  fasted  long,  he  was 
hardly  alive  ;  his  son  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  shot  and 
stabbed  to  death.  I  put  my  pipe  to  my  friend's  mouth  :  he 
smoked  a  little.  I  took  his  hand,  and  said,  <  Black  Hawk 
would  revenge  his  son's  death.'  A  storm  came  on;  I 
wrapped  my  old  'friend  in  my  blanket.  The  storm  gave 
over ;  I  made  a  fire.  It  was  too  late  ;  my  friend  was  dead. 
I  stopped  with  him  the  balance  of  the  night ;  and  then  my 
people  came,  and  we  buried  him  on  the  peak  of  the  bluff. 

"  I  explained  to  my  people  the  way  the  white  men  fight. 
Instead  of  stealing  on  each  other,  quietly  and  by  surprise, 
to  kill  their  enemies,  and  save  their  own  people  ;  they  all 
fight  in  the  sun-light,  like  braves ;  not  caring  how  many  of 
their  people  fall.  They  then  feast  and  drink  as  if  nothing 
had  happened,  and  write  on  paper  that  they  have  won, 
whether  they  have  won  or  been  beaten.  And  they  do  not 
write  truth,  for  they  only  put  down  a  part  of  the  people 
they  have  lost.  They  would  do  to  paddle  a  canoe,  but  not 
to  steer  it.  They  fight  like  braves,  but  they  are  not  fit  to 
be  chiefs,  and  to  lead  war  parties. 

"  I  found  my  wife  well,  and  my  children,  arid  would 
have  been  quiet  in  my  lodge ;  for,  while  I  was  away,  Kee- 
o-kuk  had  been  made  a  chief:  but  I  had  to  revenge  the 
death  of  the  son  of  my  old  friend.  I  told  my  friend 
so  when  he  was  dying.  Why  should  Black  Hawk  speak  a 
lie?  I  took  with  me  thirty  braves,  and  went  to  Fort 
Madison ;  but  the  American  pale  faces  had  gone.  I  was 


PEACE    MADE     WITH    THE    AMERICANS.    71 

glad,  but  still  followed  them  down  the  Mississippi.  I  went 
on  their  trail.  I  shot  the  chief  of  the  party  with  whom  we 
fought.  We  returned  home,  bringing  two  scalps.  Black 
Hawk  had  done  what  he  said. 

"  Many  things  happened.  Old  Wash-e-own,  one  of  the 
Potowatemies,  was  shot  dead  by  a  war  chief.  I  gave 
Wash-e-own's  relations  two  horses  and  my  rifles,  to  keep 
the  peace.  A  party  of  soldiers  built  a  fort  at  Prairie 
du  Chien.  They  were  friendly  to  us,  but  the  British  came 
and  took  the  fort.  We  joined  them ;  we  followed  the 
boats  and  shot  fire-arrows,  and  the  sails  of  one  boat  was 
burned,  and  we  took  it. 

"  We  found  in  the  boats  we  had  taken,  barrels  of  whis 
key  :  this  was  bad  medicine.  We  knocked  in  the  heads  of 
the  barrels,  and  emptied  them  of  the  bad  medicine.  We 
found  bottles  and  packages,  which  we  flung  into  the  river, 
as  bad  medicine  too.  We  found  guns  and  clothes,  which  I 
divided  with  my  braves.  The  Americans  built  a  fort; 
I  went  towards  it  with  my  braves.  I  had  a  dream, 
in  which  the  Great  Spirit  told  me  to  go  down  the  bluff  to  a 
creek,  and  to  look  in  a  hollow  tree  cut  down,  and  there  I 
should  see  a  snake ;  close  by  would  be  the  enemy  un 
armed.  I  went  to  the  creek,  peeped  into  the  tree,  saw  the 
snake,  and  found  the  enemy.  One  man  of  them  was 
killed,  after  that  we  returned  home :  peace  was  made 
between  the  British  and  Americans,  and  we  were  to  bury 
the  tomahawk  too. 

"  We  went  to  the  great  American  chief  at  St.  Louis,  and 
smoked  the  pipe  of  peace.  The  chief  said  our  great 
American  father  was  angry  with  us,  and  accused  us 
of  crimes.  We  said  this  was  a  lie  ;  for  our  great  father 
had  deceived  us,  and  forced  us  into  a  war.  They  were 
angry  at  what  we  said ;  but  we  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace 
again,  and  I  first  touched  the  goose  quill ;  but  I  did  not 
know  that,  in  doing  so,  I  gave  away  my  village.  Had  I 
known  it,  I  would  never  have  touched  the  goose  quill. 

"  The  American  whites  built  a  fort  on  Rock  Island ;  this 


72    WHITES   SEIZE   THE   HUNTING  GROUNDS. 

made  us  sorry,  for  it  was  our  garden,  like  what  the  white 
people  have  near  their  big  villages.  It  supplied  us  with 
plums,  apples,  and  nuts;  with  strawberries  and  blackber 
ries.  Many  happy  days  had  I  spent  on  Rock  Island. 
A  good  spirit  had  the  care  of  it ;  he  lived  under  the  rock, 
in  a  cave.  He  was  white,  and  his  wings  were  ten  times 
bigger  than  swan's  wings:  when  the  white  men  came 
there,  he  went  away. 

"  We  had  corn,  and  beans,  and  pumpkins,  and  squashes. 
We  were  the  possessors  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
full  seven  hundred  miles  from  the  Ouisconsin  to  the  Portage 
des  Sioux,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri.  If  another 
prophet  had  come  to  us  in  those  days,  and  said, i  The  white 
man  will  drive  you  from  these  hunting  grounds,  and  from 
this  village,  and  Rock  Island,  and  not  let  you  visit  the 
graves  of  your  fathers ;'  we  should  have  said,  <  Why 
should  you  tell  us  a  lie  ?' 

"  It  was  good  to  go  to  the  graves  of  our  fathers.  The 
mother  went  there  to  weep  over  her  child  :  the  brave  went 
there  to  paint  the  post  where  lay  his  father.  There  was  no 
place  in  sorrow  like  that  where  the  bones  of  our  forefathers 
lay.  There  the  Great  Spirit  took  pity  on  us.  In  our 
village,  we  were  as  happy  as  a  buffalo  on  the  plains ;  but 
now  we  are  more  like  the  hungry  and  howling  wolf  in  the 
prairie. 

"As  the  whites  came  nearer  to  us,  we  became  more 
unhappy.  They  gave  our  people  strong  liquor,  and  1 
could  not  keep  them  from  drinking  it.  My  eldest  son,  and 
my  youngest  daughter  died.  I  gave  away  all  I  had ; 
blackened  my  face  for  two  years,  lived  alone  with  my 
family  to  humble  myself  before  the  Great  Spirit.  I  had 
only  a  piece  of  buffalo  robe  to  cover  me. 

"White  men  came  and  took  part  of  our  lodges;  and 
Kee-o-kuk  told  me  I  had  better  go  west,  as  he  had  done. 
I  said  I  could  not  forsake  my  village  ;  the  prophet  told  me 
I  was  right.  I  thought  then  that  Kee-o-kuk  was  no  brave, 


FRAUDS    BY    THE    WHITE    MEN.  73 

but  a  coward,  to   give   up   what  the   Great    Spirit  had 
given  us. 

"  The  white  men  grew  more  and  more  ;  brought  whiskey 
among  us  ;  cheated  us  out  of  our  guns,  our  horses,  and  our 
traps,  and  ploughed  up  our  grounds.  They  treated  us 
cruelly ;  and  while  they  robbed  us,  said  that  we  robbed 
them.  They  made  right  look  like  wrong,  and  wrong  like 
right.  I  tried  hard  to  get  right,  but  could  not.  The  white 
man  wanted  my  village,  and  back  I  must  go.  Sixteen  thou 
sand  dollars  every  twelve  moons  are  to  be  given  to  the 
Potowatemies  for  a  little  strip  of  land,  while  one  thousand 
dollars  only  was  set  down  for  our  land  signed  away,  worth 
twenty  times  as  much.  White  man  is  too  great  a  cheat  for 
red  man. 

"A  great  chief,  with  many  soldiers,  came  to  drive  us 
away.  I  went  to  the  prophet,  who  told  me  not  to  be  afraid. 
They  only  wanted  to  frighten  us,  and  get  our  land  without 
paying  for  it.  I  had  a  talk  with  the  great  chief.  He  said 
if  I  would  go  ;  well.  If  I  would  not ;  he  would  drive  me. 
'Who  is  Black  Hawk?' said  he.  <I  am  a  Sac/  said  I; 
<  my  forefather  was  a  Sac ;  and  all  the  nation  call  me  a  Sac.' 
But  he  said  I  must  go. 

"  I  crossed  the  Mississippi  with  my  people,  during  the 
night,  and  we  held  a  council.  I  touched  the  goose  quill 
again,  and  they  gave  us  some  corn,  but  it  was  soon  gone. 
Then  our  women  and  children  cried  out  for  the  roasting 
ears,  the-  beans,  and  squashes  they  had  been  used  to.  And 
some  of  our  braves  went  back  in  the  night,  to  steal  some 
corn  from  our  own  fields  :  the  whites  saw  them,  and  fired 
upon  them. 

"  I  wished  our  great  American  father  to  do  us  justice.  I 
wished  to  go  to  him  with  others,  but  difficulties  were 
thrown  in  the  way.  I  consulted  the  prophet,  and  recruited 
my  bands  to  take  my  village  again  ;  for  I  knew  that  it  had 
been  sold  by  a  few,  without  the  consent  of  the  many.  It 
was  a  cheat.  I  said,  (  I  will  not  leave  the  place  of  my 
fathers.' 

K  7 


74  WAR    REiNEWED  — DOG   FEAST. 

"  With  my  braves  and  warriors,  ons  horseback,  I  moved 
up  the  river,  and  took  with  us  our  women  and  children  in 
canoes.  Our  prophet  was  among  us.  The  great  war 
chief  White  Beaver,  General  Atkinson,  sent  twice  to  tell 
us  to  go  back ;  and  that,  if  we  did  not,  he  would  come  and 
drive  us.  Black  Hawk's  message  was  this,  <  If  you  wish 
to  fight  us,  come  on.' 

"  We  were  soon  at  war ;  but  I  did  not  wish  it :  I  tried  to 
be  at  peace ;  but  when  I  sent  parties  with  a  white  flag, 
some  of  my  parties  were  shot  down.  The  whites  behaved 
ill  to  me,  they  forced  me  into  war,  with  five  hundred  war 
riors,  when  they  had  against  us  three  or  four  thousand.  I 
often  beat  them,  driving  back  hundreds,  with  a  few 
braves,  not  half  their  number.  We  moved  on  to  the  Four 
Lakes. 

"  I  made  a  dog  feast  before  I  left  my  camp.  Before  my 
braves  feasted,  I  took  my  great  medicine  bag,  and  made  a 
speech  to  my  people  ;  this  was  my  speech : — 

" '  Braves  and  warriors  !  these  are  the  medicine  bags  of 
our  forefather,  Muk-a-ta-quet,  who  was  the  father  of  the 
Sac  nation.  They  were  handed  down  to  the  great  war 
chief  of  our  nation,  Na-na-ma-kee,  who  has  been  at  war 
with  all  the  nations  of  the  lakes,  and  all  the  nations  of  the 
plains,  and  they  have  never  yet  been  disgraced.  I  expect 
you  all  to  protect  them.' 

"  We  went  to  Mos-co-ho-co-y-nak,  Apple  River,  where 
the  whites  had  built  a  fort.  We  had  several  battles  ;  but 
the  whites  so  much  outnumbered  us,  it  was  in  vain.  We 
had  not  enough  to  eat.  We  dug  roots,  and  pulled  the  bark 
from  trees,  to  keep  us  alive  ;  some  of  our  old  people  died  of 
hunger.  I  determined  to  remove  our  women  across  the 
Mississippi,  that  they  might  return  again  to  the  Sac  nation. 

«  We  arrived  at  the  Ouisconsin,  and  had  begun  crossing 
over,  when  the  enemy  came  in  great  force.  We  had  either 
to  fight,  or  to  sacrifice  our  women  and  children.  I  was 
mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  and  addressed  my  warriors,  encour 
aging  them  to  be  brave.  With  fifty  of  them  I  fought  long 


BLACK    HAWK   AT    WASHINGTON.  75 

enough  to  let  our  women  cross  the  river,  losing  only  six 
men :  this  was  conduct  worthy  a  brave. 

"  It  was  sad  for  us  that  a  party  of  soldiers  from  Prairie 
du  Chien  were  stationed  on  the  Ouisconsin,  and  these  fired 
on  our  distressed  women:  was- this  brave?  No.  Some 
were  killed,  some  taken  prisoners,  and  the  balance  escaped 
into  the  woods.  After  many  battles,  I  found  the  white  men 
too  strong  for  us ;  and  thinking  there  would  be  no  peace 
while  Black  Hawk  was  at  the  head  of  his  braves,  I  gave 
myself  up,  and  my  great  medicine  bag.  i  Take  it/  said  I.  - 
'  It  is  the  soul  of  the  Sac  nation :  It  has  never  been  dishon 
oured  in  any  battle.  Take  it ;  it  is  my  life,  dearer  than  life ; 
let  it  be  given  to  the  great  American  chief. 

"  I  understood  afterwards,  a  large  party  of  Sioux  set 
upon  our  women,  children,  and  people,  who  had  crossed 
the  Mississippi,  and  killed  sixty  of  them :  this  was  hard, 
and  ought  not  to  have  been  allowed  by  the  whites. 

"  I  was  sent  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  and  afterwards  to  my 
great  American  father  at  Washington.  He  wanted  to  know 
why  I  went  to  war  with  his  people.  I  said  but  little, 
for  I  thought  he  ought  to  have  known  why  before,  and 
perhaps  he  did ;  perhaps  he  knew  that  I  was  deceived  and 
forced  into  war.  His  wigwam  is  built  very  strong.  I  think 
him  to  be  a  good  little  man,  and  a  great  brave. 

"  I  was  treated  well  at  all  the  places  I  passed  through , 
Louisville,  Cincinnati,  and  Wheeling ;  and  afterwards  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  the  big  vil 
lage  New  York ;  and  I  was  allowed  to  return  home  again 
to  my  people,  of  whom  Kee-o-kuk,  the  Running  Fox,  is 
now  the  chief.  I  sent  for  my  great  medicine  bag,  for  I 
wished  to  hand  it  down  unsullied  to  my  nation. 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Black  Hawk  murdered  women 
and  children  among  the  whites ;  but  it  is  not  true.  When 
the  white  man  takes  my  hand,  he  takes  a  hand  that  has 
only  been  raised  against  warriors  and  braves.  It  has 
always  been  our  custom  to  receive  the  stranger,  and  to  use 
him  well.  The  white  man  shall  ever  be  welcome  among 


76  A    NEW    CHIEF. 

us  as  a  brother.  What  is  done  is  past;  we  have  buried 
the  tomahawk,  and  the  Sacs,  and  Foxes,  and  Americans 
will  now  be  friends. 

"As  I  said,  I  am  an  old  man,  and  younger  men  must 
take  my  place.  A  few  more  snows,  a  few  more  sun-downs, 
and  I  shall  go  after  my  fathers  to  where  they  are.  It  is  the 
wish  of  the  heart  of  Black  Hawk,  that  the  Great  Spirit 
may  keep  the  red  men  and  pale  faces  in  peace,  and  that  the 
tomahawk  may  be  buried  for  ever." 

Austin.  Poor  Black  Hawk  !  He  went  through  a  great 
deal.  And"Kee-o-kuk,  the  Running  Fox,  was  made  chief 
instead  of  him. 

Hunter.  Kee-o-kuk  was  a  man  more  inclined  to  peace 
than  war ;  for,  while  Black  Hawk  was  righting,  he  kept 
two  thirds  of  the  tribe  in  peace.  The  time  may  come, 
when  Indians  may  love  peace  as  much  as  they  now  love 
war;  and  the  "peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understand 
ing,"  may  "  keep  their  hearts  and  minds  in  the  knowledge 
and  love  of  God,  and  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

Austin.  Now,  just  before  we  go,  will  you  please  to  tell 
us  a  little  about  a  buffalo  hunt ;  just  a  little,  and  then  we 
shall  talk  about  it,  and  about  Black  Hawk,  all  the  way 
home. 

Hunter.  Well,  it  must  be  a  short  account  now ;  perhaps 
I  may  describe  another  hunt,  more  at  length,  another  time. 
In  hunting  the  buffalo,  the  rifle,  the  lance,  and  the  bow  and 
arrow  are  used,  as  the  case  may  be.  1  have  hunted  with 
the  Camanchees  in  the  Mexican  provinces,  who  are  famous 
horsemen ;  with  the  Sioux  on  the  Mississippi ;  the  Crows 
on  the  Yellow-stone  River;  and  the  Pawnees  at  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  One  morning,  when  among  the  Crows,  a 
muster  took  place  for  a  buffalo  hunt :  you  may  be  sure  that 
I  joined  them,  for  at  that  time  I  was  almost  an  Indian 
myself. 

Austin.  How  did  you  prepare  for  the  hunt  ? 

Hunter.  As  soon  as  we  had  notice,  from  the  top  of  a 
bluff  in  the  distance,  that  a  herd  of  buffaloes  were  seen  on 


PREPARING    FOR    A    BUFFALO    HUNT.     77 


BUFFALOES   OR    BISONS. 

th*  rairie,  we  prepared  our  horses ;  while  some  Indians 
we, ;  directed  to  follow  our  trail,  with  one-horse  carts,  to 
brinv;  home  the  meat. 

Bi  \  in.  You  made  sure,  then,  that  you  should  kill  some 
buffau.es. 

Hu  vler.  Yes  ;  we  had  but  little  doubt  on  that  head.  1 
threw  D\T  my  cap;  stripped  off  my  coat;  tying  a  handker 
chief  i  )und  my  nead,.and  another  round  my  waist ;  rolled 
up  my  sleeves ;  hastily  put  a  few  bullets  in  my  mouth,  and 
mountc  d  a  fleet  horse,  armed  with  a  rifle,  and  a  thin  long 
spear :  but  most  of  the  Crows  had  also  bows  and  arrows. 

Basil.  Your  thin  spear  would  soon  be  broken. 

^unt^r.  No  ;  these  thin  long  spears  are  sometimes  used, 
in  buffalo  hunting,  for  years  without  breaking.  When  an 
Indian  chases  a  buffalo,  if  he  does  not  use  his  rifle  or  bow 
and  arrow,  he  rides  on  fast  till  he  comes  up  with  his  game, 
and  makes  his  horse  gallop  just  the  same  pace  as  the  buffalo. 


78  BUFFALO    HUNTING. 

Every  bound  his  horse  gives,  the  Indian  keeps  moving  his 
spear  backwards  and  forwards  across  the  pommel  of  his 
saddle,  with  the  point  sideways  towards  the  buffalo.  He 
gallops  on  in  this  way,  saying,  "Whish!  whish  !"  every 
time  he  makes  a  feint,  until  he  finds  himself  in  just  the 
situation  to  inflict  a  deadly  wound  ;  then,  in  a  moment  with 
all  his  strength,  he  plunges  in  his  lance,  quick  as  lightning, 
near  the  shoulders  of  the  buffalo,  and  withdraws  it  at  the 
same  instant :  the  lance,  therefore,  is  not  broken,  •  though 
the  buffalo  may  be  mortally  wounded. 

Brian.  The  poor  buffalo  has  no  chance  at  all. 

Austin.  Well !  you  mounted  your  horse,  and  rode  off  at 
full  gallop— 

Hunter.  No  ;  we  walked  our  steeds  all  abreast,  until  we 
were  seen  by  the  herd  of  buffaloes.  On.  catching  sight  of 
us,  in  an  instant  they  set  off,  and  we  after  them  as  hard  as 
we  could  drive,  a  cloud  of  dust  rising  from  the  prairie, 
occasioned  by  the  trampling  hoofs  of  the  buffaloes. 

Basil.  What  a  scamper  there  would  be  ! 

Hunter.  Rifles  were  flashing,  bowstrings  were  twang 
ing,  spears  were  dashed  into  the  fattest  of  the  herd,  and 
buffaloes  were  falling  in  all  directions.  Here  was  seen  an 
Indian  rolling  on  the  ground,  and  there  a  horse  gored  to 
death  by  a  buffalo  bull.  I  brought  down  one  of  the  big 
gest  of  the  herd  with  my  rifle,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
hunt ;  and,  before  it  was  ended,  we  had  as  many  buffa 
loes  as  we  knew  what  to  do  with.  Some  of  the  party  had 
loaded  their  rifles  four  or  five  times,  while  at  full  gallop, 
bringing  down  a  buffalo  at  every  fire. 

Very  willingly  would  Austin  have  lingered  long  enough 
to  hear  of  half  a  dozen  buffalo  hunts;  but,  bearing  in 
mind  what  had  been  said  about  a  longer  account  at  another 
time,  he  cordially  thanked  the  hunter  for  all  he  had  told 
them,  and  set  off  home,  with  a  light  heart,  in  earnest  con 
versation  with  his  brothers. 


BUFFALO    HUNT. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Valleys  and  prairies — A  flat  prairie — Bluffs  and  square  hills — 
Floyd's  grave — Blackbird's  grave — Fruit  grounds  in  prairie — 
Prairie  la  Crosse — Prairie  du  Chien — Couteau  des  Prairies — 
Missouri  prairies — Swan  Lake,  River  rice  grounds — Lover's  leap — 
Salt  meadows — Savannahs — Red  Pipe-stone  quarry. 

ASTING  was  the  impression 
made  on  the  minds  of  the 
young  people  by  the  hun 
ter's  description  of  the  buf 
falo  hunt ;  and  the  manner 
of  using  the  long,  thin  lance  called 
forth  their  wonder,  and  excited  their 
emulation.  Austin  became  a  Caman- 
chee,  from  the  Mexican  provinces,  the 
Camanchees  being  among  the  most 
expert  lancers  and  horsemen ;  Brian"  called  himself  a 
Sioux,  from  the  Mississippi ;  and  Basil  styled  himself  a 
Pawnee,  from  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Many  were  the  plans  and  expedients  to  get  up  a  buflalo 

79 


80  BUFFALO    HUNTING. 

hunt  upon  a  large  scale,  but  the  difficulty  of  procuring  buf 
faloes  was  insurmountable.  Austin,  it  is  true,  did  suggest 
an  inroad  among  the  flock  of  sheep  of  a  neighbouring  far 
mer,  maintaining  that  the  scampering  of  the  sheep  would 
very  much  resemble  the  flight  of  a  herd  of  buffaloes ;  but 
this  suggestion  was  given  up.  on  the  ground  that  the 
farmer  might  not  think  it  so  entertaining  an  amusement  as 
they  did. 

It  was  doubtful  at  one  time,  whether,  in  their  extremity, 
they  should  not  be  compelled  to  convert. the  chairs  and 
tables  into  buffaloes ;  but  Austin,  whose  heart  was  in  the 
thing,  had  a  bright  thought,  which  received  universal  ap 
probation.  This  was  to  make  buffaloes  of  their  playfellow 
Jowler,  the  Newfoundland  dog,  and  the  black  torn  cat. 
Jowler,  with  his  shining  shaggy  skin,  was  sure  to  make  a 
capital  buffalo  ;  and  Black  Tom  would  do  very  well,  as  buf 
faloes  were  not  all  of  one  size.  To  work  they  went  imme 
diately,  to  prepare  themselves  for  their  adventurous  underta 
king,  dressing  -themselves  up  for  the  approaching  enterprise  ; 
and,  if  they  did  not  succeed  in  making  themselves  look  like 
Red  Indians,  they  certainly  did  present  a  most  grotesque 
appearance. 

In  the  best  projects,  however,  there  is  oftentimes  an  over 
sight,  which  bids  fair  to  ruin  the  whole  undertaking; 
and  so  it  was  on  this  occasion  ;  for  it  never  occurred  to 
them,  until  they  were  habited  as  hunters,  to  secure  the 
attendance  of  Jowler  and  Black  Tom.  Encumbered  with 
their  lances,  bows,  arrows,  and  hanging  dresses,  they  had 
to  search  the  whole  house,  from  top  to  bottom,  in  quest  of 
Black  Tom,  and  when  he  was  found,  it  was  equally  neces 
sary  to  sally  forth  in  search  of  Jowler ;  but  as  young  peo 
pie  very  seldom  lack  perseverance  in  their  sports,  and  as 
perseverance  usually  attains 'its  end,  both  Jowler  and  Black 
Tom  were  at  length  found,  and  they  were  led  forth  to  the 
lawn,  which  was  considered  to  be  an  excellent  prairie. 

No  sooner  was  the  signal  given  for  the  hunt  to  com 
mence,  than  Black  Tom,  being  set  at  liberty,  instead  of  ac- 


BUFFALO    HUNTING.  81 

ting  his  part  like  a  buffalo,  ^  he  ought  to  have  done, 
scampered  across  the  lawn  to  the  shrubbery,  and  ran  up. an 
acacia  tree  ;  while  Jowler  made  a  rush  after  him;  so  that 
the  hunt  appeared  to  have  ended  almost  as  soon  as  it  was 
begun.  Jowler  was  brought  back  again  to  the  middle 
of  the  lawn,  but  no  device  could  prevail  on  Black  Tom  to 
descend  from  the  eminence  he  had  attained. 

Once  more  Jowler,  the  buffalo,  was  set  at  liberty ; 
and  Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil,  the  Carnanchee,  Sioux,  and 
Pawnee  chieftains,  brandished  their  long  lances,*preparing 
for  the  chase :  but  it  seemed  as  though  they  were  to  be  dis 
appointed,  for  Jowler,  instead  of  running  away,  as  he  was 
bound  to  do,  according  to  the  plan  of  the  hunters,  pro 
voking]  y  kept  leaping  up,  first  at  one,  and  then  at  another 
of  them;  until,  having  overturned  the  Pawnee  on  the 
lawn,  and  put  the  Sioux  and  Camanchee  out  of  all  pa 
tience,  he  lay  down  panting,  with  his  long  red  tongue  out 
of  his  mouth,  looking  at  them  just  as  though  he  had  acted 
his  part  of  the  affair  capitally. 

At  last,  not  being  able  to  reduce  the  refractdry  Jowler  to 
obedience,  no  other  expedient  remained  than  that  of  one  of 
them  taking  the  part  of  a  buffalo  on  himself.  Austin  was 
very  desirous  that  this  should  be  done  by  Brian  or  Basil ; 
but  they  insisted  that  he,  being  the  biggest,  was  most  like  a 
buffalo.  The  affair  was  at  length  compromised,  by  each 
agreeing  to  play  the  buffalo  in  turn.  A  desperate  hunt 
then  took  place,  in  the  course  of  which  their  long  lances 
were  most  skilfully  and  effectually  used;  three  buffaloes 
were  slain,  and  the  Camanchee,  Sioux,  and  Pawnee  return 
ed  in  triumph  from  the  chase,  carrying  a  buffalo-hide  (a  rug 
mat  from  the  hall)  on  the  tops  of  their  spears. 

On  their  next  visit  to  the  hunter,  they  reminded  him  that, 
the  last  time  he  saw  them,  he  had  intended  to  speak  about 
the  prairies ;  but  that  the  history  of  Black  Hawk,  and  the 
account  of  the  buffalo  hunt,  had  taken  up  all  the  time. 
They  told  him  that  they  had  come  early,  on  purpose 


82  VALLEYS    AND    PRAIRIES. 

to  hear  a  long  account ;  and,  perhaps,  he  would  be  able  to 
tell  them  all  about  Nikkanochee  into  the  bargain. 

The  hunter  replied,  if  that  was  the  case,  the  sooner  he 
began  his  narrative  the  better ;  so,  without  loss  of  time,  he 
thus  commenced  his  account. 

Hunter.  Though  in  North  America  there  are  dull  mono 
tonous  rivers,  with  thick  slimy  waters,  stagnant  swamps, 
and  pine  forests  almost  immeasurable  in  extent ;  yet,  still, 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  delightful  scenes  in  the 
whole  wdfcd  are  there 

Austin.  How  big  are  the  prairies  ?  I  want  to  know  more 
about  them. 

Hunter.  They  extend  for  thousands  of  miles,  though  not 
without  being  divided  and  diversified  with  other  scenery1. 
Mountains,  and  valleys,  and  forests,  and  rivers,  vary  the 
appearance  of  the  country.  The  valley  of  Connecticut  is 
very  fertile  and  beautiful ;  though  oftentimes,  in  March  or 
April,  there  is  a  freshet  there,  occasioned  by  the  melting 
of  the  snow.  The  waters  thus  formed,  swell  suddenly, 
break  loose  from  the  valley,  and  sweep  away  every  thing 
before  them. 

Basil.  I  shall  remember  the  valley  of  Connecticut. 

Hunter.  The  valleys  of  Missouri,  Red  River,  Housa- 
tonic,  Mohawk,  Hudson,  Susquehannah,  and  others  are  full 
of  intereresting  scenes ;  but  the  valley  of  Mississippi,  with 
the  exception  of  that  of  the  Amazon,  in  South  America,  is 
the  largest  in  the  world,  It  reaches  from  cold  Canada  to 
the  sunny  tropics,  and  from  Ohio  eastward  to  Missouri 
westward.  You  must  remember  that  a  prairie  is  a.  plain. 
What  are  called,  in  the  southern  states,  savannahs;  in 
South  America,  pampas ;  in  Europe,  heaths ;  in  Asia, 
steppes ;  and  in  Africa,  deserts ;  in  North  America  are 
called  prairies. 

Austin.  Ay ;  we  cannot  forget  that  now.  Remember, 
Brian  and  Basil,  that  in  future  we  shall  caH  Furse  Common? 
Furse  Prairie. 

Hunter.  The  name  prairie  was  given  to  the  plains  of 


BLUFFS    AND    CRAGS.  83 

North  America  by  the  French  settlers.  Prairie  is  the  French 
word  for  meadow.  I  will  describe  some  prairie  scenes 
which  have  particularly  struck  me.  These  vast  plains  are 
sometimes  flat ;  sometimes  undulated,  like  the  large  waves 
of  the  sea ;  sometimes  barren ;  sometimes  covered  with 
flowers  and  fruit ;  and  sometimes  there  is  grass  growing  on 
them  eight  or  ten  feet  high. 

Brian.  I  never  heard  of  such  grass  as  that. 

Hunter.  A  prairie  on  fire  is  one  of  the  most  imposing 
spectacles  you  can  imagine.  The  flame  is  urged  on  by  the 
winds,  running  and  spreading  out  with  swiftness  and  fury, 
roaring  like  a  tempest,  and  driving  before  it  deer,  wolves, 
horses,  and  buffaloes,  in  wild  confusion. 

•Austin.  How  I  should  like  to  see  a  prairie  on  fire  ! 

Hunter.  In  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Indiana,  and  -Lousiana, 
prairies  abound  ;  and  the  whole  state  of  Illinois  is  little  els» 
than  a  prairie  altogether.  From  the  Falls  of  the  Missouri 
to  St.  Louis,  a  distance  of  between  two  and  three  thousand 
miles,  a  constant  succession  of  prairie  and  river  scenes,  of 
the  most  arresting  kind,  meet  the  eye.  Here  the  rich  green 
velvet  turf  spreads  out  immeasurably  wide ;  breaking 
towards  the  river  into  innumerable  hills  and  dales,  bluffs 
and  ravines,  where  mountain  goats,  and  wolves,  and  ante 
lopes,  and  elks,  and  buffaloes,  and  grizzly  bears  roam  in 
unrestrained  liberty.  At  one  time,  the  green  bluff  slopes 
easily  down  to  the  water's  edge  ;  while,  in  other  places,  the 
ground  at  the  edge  of  the  river  presents  to  the  eye  an  end 
less  variety  of  hill  and  bluff,  and  crag,  taking  the  shapes  of 
ramparts  and  ruins,  of  columns,  porticoes,  terraces,  domes, 
towers,  citadels,  and  castles ;  while  here  and  there  rises  a 
solitary  spire,  which  might  well  pass  for  the  work  of  human 
hands.  But  the  whole  scene  varying  in  colour,  and  lit  up 
and  gilded  by  the  mid-day  sun,  speaks  to  the  heart  of  the 
spectator,  convincing  him  that  none  but  an  Almighty  hand 
could  thus  clothe  the  wilderness  with  beauty. 

Jlustin.  There,  Brian  !  Do  you  not  wish  now  to  see  the 
prairies  of  North  America  ? 


84  JOURNEY    OVER    A    PRAIRIE. 

Brian.  Yes ;  if  I  could  see  them  without  going  among 
the  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives. 

Hunter.  I  remember  one  part,  where  the  ragged  cliffs 
and  cone-like  bluffs,  partly  washed  away  by  the  rains,  and 
partly  crumbled  down  by  the  frosts,  seemed  to  be  composed 
of  earths  of  a  mineral  kind,  of  clay  of  different  colours, 
and  of  red  pumice  stone.  The  clay  was  white,  brown,  yel 
low,  and  deep  blue  ;  while  the  pumice  stone,  lit  up  by  the 
sunbeam,  was  red  as  vermilion.  The  loneliness,  the  wild- 
ness,  and  romantic  beauty  of  the  scene  I  am  not  likely  to 
forget. 

Basil.  I  should  like  to  see  those  red  rocks  very  much. 

Hunter.  For  six  days  I  once  continued  my  course,  with 
a  party  of  Indians,  across  the  prairie,  without  setting  my 
eyes  on  a  single  tree,  or  a  single  hill  affording  variety  to  the 
scene.  Grass,  wild  flowers,  and  strawberries,  abounded 
more  or  less  through  the  whole  extent.  The  spot  where 
we  found  ourselves  at  sun-down,  appeared  to  be  exactly 
that  from  which  we  started  at  sunrise.  There  was  little 
variety,  even  in  the  sky  itself ;  and  it  would  have  been  a 
relief,  so  soon  are  we  weary  even  of  beauty  itself,  to  have 
walked  a  mile  over  rugged  rocks,  or  to  have  forced  our  way 
through  a  gloomy  pine  wood,  or  to  have  climbed  the  sides 
of  a  steep  mountain. 

Brian.  I  hardly  think  that  I  should  ever  be  tired  of 
green  grass,  and  flowers,  and  strawberries. 

Hunter.  Oh  yes,  you  would.  Variety  in  the  works  of 
creation  is  a  gift  of  our  bountiful  Creator,  for  which  we  are 
not  sufficiently  thankful.  Look  at  the  changing  seasons ; 
how  beautifully  they  vary  the  same  prospect !  and  regard 
the  changing  clouds  of  heaven ;  what  an  infinite  and  plea 
surable  variety  they  aflbrd  to  us  !  If  the  world  were  all 
sunshine,  we  should  long  for  the  shade  ;  and  were  we  to 
feed  on  nothing  but  honey,  we  should  soon  dislike  it  as 
much  as  the  bitterest  gall. 

Austin.  What  is  it  that  you  mean  by  bluffs  ? 

Hunter.     Round  hills,  or  huge   clayey  mounds,  often 


FLOYD'S    GRAVE.  85 

covered  with  grass  and  flowers  to  the  very  top.  Some 
times  they  have  a  verdant  turf  on  their  tops,  while  their 
sides  display  a  rich  variety  of  many  coloured  earths,  and 
thousands  of  gypsum  crystals  imbedded  in  the  clay.  The 
romantic  mixture  of  bluffs,  and  square  hills,  with  summits 
of  green  grass  as  level  as  the  top  of  a  table,  with  huge 
fragments  of  pumice  stone  and  cinders,  the  remains  of 
burning  mountains,  and  granite  sand,  and  layers  of  different 
coloured  clay,  and  cornelian,  and  agate,  and  jaspar-like 
pebbles;  these,  with  the  various  animals  that  graze  or 
prowl  among  them,  and  the  rolling  river,  and  bright  blue 
sky,  altogether  are  almost  enough  to  make  a  spectator  of 
quick  feeling  scream  with  joy.  Few  sights  have  afforded 
me  more  bewildering  delight. 

Austin.  I  should  scream  out  I -am  sure. 

Basil.  And  then  perhaps  you  would  have  a  grizzly  bear 
after  you. 

Hunter.  Some  of  the  hunters -and  trappers  believe  that 
the  great  valley  of  the  Missouri  was  once  level  with  the 
tops  of  the  table  hills,  and  that  the  earth  has  been  washed 
away  by  the  river,  and  other  causes ;  but  the  subject  is 
involved  in  much  doubt.  It  has  pleased  God  to  put  a  boun 
dary  to  the  knowledge  of  man  in  many  things.  "  We  are 
but  of  yesterday,  and  know  nothing,  because  our  days  upon 
earth  are  a  shadow,"  Job  viii.  9.  I  think  I  ought  to  tell 
you  of  Floyd's  grave. 

Austin.  Oh,  yes  !  Who  was  Floyd  ? 

Hunter.  You  shall  hear.  In  the  celebrated  expedition 
of  Clark  and  Lewis  to  the  Rocky  mountains,  they  were 
accompanied  by  Serjeant  Floyd,  who  died  on  the  way.  His 
body  was  carried  to  the  top  of  a  high,  green-carpeted  bluff, 
on  the  Missouri  river,  and  there  buried,  and  a  cedar  post 
was  erected  to  his  memory.  As  I  sat  on  his  grave,  and 
looked  around  me,  the  stillness  and  the  extreme  beauty  of 
the  scene  much  affected  me.  I  had  endured  much  toil,  both 
in  hunting  and  rowing ;  sometimes  being  in  danger  from 
the  grizzly  bears,  and,  and  at  others,  with  difficulty  escaping 

8 


86  BLACKBIRD'S     GRAVE. 

the  war  parties  of  the  Indians.  My  rifle  had  been  busy, 
and  the  swan  and  the  pelican,  the  antelope  and  the  elk,  had 
supplied  me  with  food  ;  and  as  I  sat  on  the  grassy  and  wild 
flower-grave,  in  that  beautiful  bluff  in  the  wilderness — the 
enamelled  prairie,  the  thousand  grassy  hills  that  were  visible, 
with  their  golden  heads,  and  long  deep  shadows — for  the 
sun  was  setting,  the  Missouri  winding  its  serpentine  course, 
and  the  whole  scene  together  was  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
tranquil  kind.  The  soft  whispering  of  the  evening  breeze, 
and  the  distant,  subdued  and  melancholy  howl  of  the 
wolf,  were  the  only  sounds  that  reached  my  ears.  It  was  a 
very  solitary,  and  yet  a  very  delightful  scene. 

Basil.  I  should  not  like  to  be  by  myself  in  such  a  place 
as  that. 

Hunter.  There  is  another  high  bluff  not  many  miles 
from  the  cedar  post  of  poor  Floyd,  that  is  well  known  as 
the  burial-place  of  Blackbird,  a  famous^  chief  of  the  0-ma- 
haw  tribe  ;  the  manner  of  his  burial  was  extremely  strange. 

Brian.  Now  for  the  burial  of  Blackbird,  the  chief  of  the 
0-ma-haws. 

Hunter.  As  I  was  pulling  up  the  river,  a  voyageur  told 
me  the  story ;  and,  when  I  had  heard  it,  we  pushed  our 
canoe  into  a  small  creek,  that  I  might  visit  the  spot ;  climb 
ing  up  the  velvet  sides  of  the  bluff,  I  sat  me  down  by  the 
cedar  post  on  the  grave  of  Blackbird. 

•Austin*  But  what  was  the  story  ?  what  was  there  strange 
in  the  burial  of  the  chief? 

Hunter.  Blackbird,  on  his  way  home  from  the  city  of 
Washington,  where  he  had  been,  died  with  the  small-pox. 
Before  his  death,  he  desired  his  warriors  to  bury  him  on 
the  bluff,  sitting  on  the  back  of  his  favourite  war-horse,  that 
he  might  see,  as  he  said,  the  Frenchmen  boating  up  and 
down  the  river.  His  beautiful  white  steed  was  led  up  to 
the  top  of  the  bluff,  and  there  the  body  of  Blackbird  was 
placed  astride  upon  him. 

Brian.  What  a  strange  thing  ! 

Hunter.  Blackbird  had  his  bow  in  his  hand,  his  beautiful 


RED    RIVER    PRAIRIES.  87 

head  dress  of  war-eagle  plumes  on  his  head,  his  shield  and 
quiver  at  his  side,  and  his  pipe  and  medicine  bag.  His 
tobacco  pouch  was  filled,  to  supply  him  on  his  journey  to 
the  hunting  grounds  of  his  fathers ;  and  he  had  flint  and 
steel  wherewith  to  light  his  pipe  by  the  way.  Every  war 
rior  painted  his  hand  with  vermillion,  and  then  pressed  it 
against  the  white  horse,  leaving  a  mark  behind  him.  After 
the  necessary  ceremonies  had  been  performed,  Blackbird 
and  his  white-horse  were  covered  over  with  turf,  till  they 
were  no  more  seen. 

Jlustin.  But  was  the  white  horse  buried  alive? 

Hunter.  He  was.  The  turfs  were  put  about  his  feet, 
then  piled  up  his  legs,  then  placed  against  his  sides,  then 
over  his  back,  and  lastly  over  Blackbird  himself  and  his 
war-eagle  plumes. 

Brian.  That  was  a  very  cruel  deed  !  They  had  no  busi 
ness  to  smother  that  beautiful  white  horse  in  that  way. 

Basil.  And  so  I  say.  It  was  a  great  shame,  and  I  do 
not  like  that  Blackbird. 

Hunter.  Red  Indians  have  strange  customs.  Now  I  am 
on  the  subject  of  prairie  scenes,  I  ought  to  speak  a  word  of 
the  prairies  of  the  Red  River.  1  had  been  for  some  time 
among  the  Creeks  and  Choctaws,  crossing,  here  and  there, 
ridges  of  wooded  lands,  and  tracts  of  rich  herbage,  with 
blue  mountains  in  the  distance,  when  I  came  to  a  prairie 
scene  of  a  new  character.  For  miles  together  the  ground 
was  covered  with  vines,  bearing  endless  clusters  of  large 
delicious  grapes ;  and  then,  after  crossing  a  few  broad 
valleys  of  green  turf,  our  progress  was  stopped  by  hun 
dreds  of  acres  of  plum  trees,  bending  to  the  very  ground 
with  their  fruit.  Among  these  were  interspersed  patches 
of  rose  trees,  wild  currants,  and  gooseberries,  with  prickly 
pears,  and  the  most  beautiful  and  sweet-scented  wild 
flowers. 

Austin.  I  never  heard  of  so  delightful  a  place.  What 
do  you  think  of  the  prairies  now,  Basil  ?  Should  you  not 
like  to  gather  some  of  those  fruits  and  flowers,  Brian  ? 


88  BEAUTIFUL    PRAIRIES. 

Hunter.  And  then,  just  as  I  was  stretching  out  my  hand 
to  gather  some  of  the  delicious  produce  of  that  paradise  of 
fruit  and  flowers,  I  heard  the  shake  of  a  rattlesnake,  that 
was  preparing  to  make  a  spring,  and  I  saw  the  glistening 
eyes  of  a  copper-head,  which  I  had  disturbed  beneath  the 
tendrils  and  leaves. 

Basil.  What  do  you  think  of  the  prairie  now,  Austin  ? 

Brian.  And  should  you  not  like  to  gather  some  of  those 
fruits  and  flowers  ? 

Austin.  I  never  expected  that,  there  would  be  snakes 
among  them. 

Hunter.  The  wild  creatures  of  these  delightful  spots 
may  be  said  to  live  in  a  garden  ;  here  they  pass  their  lives, 
rarely  disturbed  by  the  approach  of  man.  The  hunter  and 
the  trapper,  however  thoughtlessly  they  pursue  their 
calling,  are  at  times  struck  with  the  amazing  beauty  of  the 
scenes  that  burst  upon  them.  God  is  felt  to  be  in  the 
prairie.  The  very  solitude  disposes  the  mind  to  acknow 
ledge  him ;  earth  and  skies  proclaim  his  presence  ;  the 
fruits  of  the  ground  declare  his  bounty ;  and,  in  the 
flowers,  ten  thousand  forget-me-nots  bring  his  goodness  to 
remembrance.  "  Great  .is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be 
praised;  and  his  greatness  is  unsearchable,"  Psa.  cxlv.  3. 

Austin.  I  could  not  have  believed  that  there  had  been 
such  beautiful  places  in  the  prairies. 

Hunter.  Some  parts  are  varied,  and  others  monotonous. 
Some  are  beautiful,  and  others  far  from  being  agreeable. 
The  Prairie  la  Crosse,  the  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  the  Cou- 
teau  des  Prairies  on  the  Mississippi,  with  the  prairies  on  the 
Missouri,  all  have  some  points  of  attraction.  I  did  intend 
to  say  a  little  about  Swan  Lake,  the  wild  rice  grounds, 
Lover's  Leap,  the  salt  meadows  on  the  Missouri,  the 
Savannah  in  the  Florida  pine  woods,  and  Red  Pipe-stone 
quarry ;  but  as  I  intend  to  give  you  the  history  of  Nik- 
kanochee,  perhaps  I  had  better  begin  with  it  at  once. 

Austin.  We  shall  like  to  hear  of  Nikkanochee,  but  it  is 


LOVER'S    LEAP.  89 

so  pleasant  to  hear  about  the  prairies,  that  you  must,  if  you 
please,  tell  us  a  little  more  about  them  first. 

Basil.  I  want  to  hear  about  those  prairie  dogs. 

Brian.  And  I  want  to  hear  of  Lover's  Leap. 

Austin.  What  I  wish  to  hear  the  most  is  about  the  Red 
Pipe-stone  quarry.  Please  just  to  tell  us  a  little  about 
them  all. 

Hunter.  Well !  So  that  you  will  be  satisfied  with  a 
little,  I  will  go  on.  Swan  Lake  is  one  of  the  most  beauti 
ful  objects  in  the  prairies  of  North  America  :  it  extends  for 
many  miles;  and  the  islands  with  which  it  abounds  are 
richly  covered  with  forest  trees.  Fancy  to  yourselves 
unnumbered  islands  with  fine  trees,  beautifully  grouped  to 
gether,  and  clusters  of  swans  on  the  water  in  every  direc 
tion.  If  you  want  to  play  at  Robinson  Crusoe,  one  of  the 
islands  on  Swan  Lake  will  be  just  the  place  for  you. 

Basil.  Well  it  may  be  called  Swan  Lake. 

Hunter.  The  first  time  that  I  saw  wild  rice  gathered,  it 
much  surprised  and  amused  me.  A  party  of  Sioux  Indian 
women  were  paddling  about,  near  the  shores  of  a  large 
lake,  in  canoes  made  of  bark  ;  while  one  woman  paddled 
the  canoe,  the  other  gathered  the  wild  rice,  which  flourished 
there  in  great  abundance,  by  bending  it  over  the  canoe 
with  one  stick,  and  then  striking  it  with  another ;  the  grains 
of  rice  fell  in  profusion  into  the  canoe.  In  this  way  they 
proceeded,  till  they  obtained  full  cargoes  of  wild  rice 
to  consume  as  food. 

Brian.  I  wish  we  had  wild  rice  growing  in  our  pond. 

Hunter.  What  I  have  to  say  of  Lover's  Leap,  is  a  little 
melancholy.  On  the  east  side  of  Lake  Pepin,  on  the  Missis 
sippi,  stands  a  bold  rock,  lifting  up  its  aspiring  head  some  six 
or  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  Some 
years  since,  as  the  story  goes,  an  Indian  chief  wished  * 
his  daughter  to  marry  a  husband  that  she  did  not  like. 
The  daughter  declined,  but  the  father  insisted  ;  and  the 
poor,  distracted  girl,  to  get  rid  of  her  difficulty,  threw  her- 

M  8* 


90  SALT    SPRINGS    AND    PRAIRIES. 

self,  in  the  presence  of  her  tribe,  from  the  top  of  the  rock, 
and  was  dashed  to  pieces. 

Basil.  Poor  girl !     Her  father  was  a  very  cruel  man. 

Hunter.  The  chief  was  cruel,  and  his  daughter  rash ; 
but  we  must  not  be  severe  in  judging  those  who  have  no 
better  standard  of  right  and  wrong  than  the  customs 
of  their  uncivilized  tribe.  Had  that  Indian  chief  and  his 
daughter  known  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  been  influenced 
by  the  principles  of  Christianity,  he  would  have  been  kind- 
hearted  and  merciful ;"  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful :  for  they 
shall  obtain  mercy,"  Matt.  v.  7  :  and  she  would  have  been 
patient  and  obedient.  "  If,  when  ye  do  well,  and  suifer  for 
it,  ye  take  it  patiently,  this  is  acceptable  with  God,"  1  Pet. 
ii.  20.  The  best  use  to  which  we  can  put  this  account,  is 
to  look  up  for  strength  and  grace,  to  enable  us  to  avoid 
their  errors.  It  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri  river,  towards 
the  mouth  of  the  Teton  river,  that  I  came  all  at  once  on  a 
salt  meadow.  You  would  have  thought  that  it  had  been 
snowing  for  an  hour  or  two,  for  the  salt  lay  an  inch  or  two 
thick  on  the  ground. 

Austin.  What  could  have  brought  it  there  ? 

Hunter.  The  same  Almighty  hand  that  spreads  out  the 
wild  prairie,  spreads  the  salt  upon  its  surface.  There  are 
salt  springs  in  many  places,  where  the  salt  water  floods  over 
the  prairie.  The  hot  sun  evaporates  the  water, and  the  salt 
is  left  behind. 

Brian.  Well,  that  is  very  curious. 

Hunter.  The  buffaloes  and  other  animals  corne  by  thou 
sands  to  lick  the  salt,  so  that  what  with  the  green  prairie  round, 
the  white  salt,  and  the  black  buffaloes,  the  contrast  in  colour 
is  very  striking.  Though  Florida  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a 
sterile  wilderness;  yet  for  that  very  reason,  some  of  its 
beautiful  spots  appear  the  more  beautiful.  There  are  swamps 
enough,  and  alligators  enough,  lo  make  the  traverser  of 
those  weary  wilds  cheerless  and  disconsolate ;  but  when, 
after  plodding,  day  after  day,  through  dreary  morasses  and 
interminable  pine  woods,  listening  to  nothing  but  the  cry 


RED    PIPE-STONE  QUARRY.  91 

of  cranes  and  the  howling  of  wolves,  he  comes  suddenly 
into  an  open  savannah  of  grouped  palmettos,  and  a  carpet 
of  grass  and  myriads  of  wild  flowers,  his  eye  brightens,  and 
he  recovers  his  cheerfulness  and  strength.  He  again  feels 
that  God  is  in  the  prairie, 

Basil.  Remember  the  alligators,  Austin  ! 

Brian.  And  the  howling  wolves  !  What  do  you  think 
of  them  ? 

Austin.  And  what  do  you  think  of  the  savannah  of 
grass,  and  flowers,  and  tall  palmettos  ? 

Hunter.  The  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry  is  in  the  Couteau 
du  Prairie  ;  it  may  be  a  hundred  miles  or  more  from  the  St. 
Peter's  river,  between  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  the  Upper 
Missouri.  It  is  the  place  where  the  Red  Indians  of  North 
America  procure  the  red  stone  with  which  they  make  all 
their  pipes.  The  place  is  considered  by  them  to  be  sacred. 
They  say  that  the  Great  Spirit  used  to  stand  on  the  rock, 
and  that  the  blood  of  the  buffaloes  which  he  ate  there  ran 
into  the  rocks  below,  and  turned  them  red. 

•Austin.  That  is  the  place  I  want  to  see. 

Hunter.  If  you  go  there,  you  must  take  great  care  of 
yourself;  for  the  Sioux  will  be  at  your  heels.  As  I  said,  they 
hold  the  place  sacred,  and  consider  the  approach  of  a  white 
man  a  kind  of  profanation.  The  place  is  visited  by  all  the 
neighbouring  tribes  for  stone  with  which  to  make  their 
pipes,  whether  they  are  at  war  or  peace ;  for  the  Great 
Spirit,  say  they,  always  watches  over  it,  and  the  war-club 
and  scalping  knife  are  there  harmless.  There  are  hun 
dreds  of  old  inscriptions  on  the  face  of  the  rocks ;  and  the 
wildest  traditions  are  handed  down,  from  father  to  son, 
respecting  the  place.  Some  of  the  Sioux  say,  that  the 
Great  Spirit  once  sent  his  runners  abroad,  to  call  together 
all  the  tribes  that  were  at  war,  to  the  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry.* 
As  he  stood  on  the  top  of  the  rocks,  he  took  out  a  piece  of 
red  stone,  and  made  a  large  pipe  ;  he  smoked  it  over  them, 
and  told  them,  that,  though  at  war,  they  must  always  be  at 
peace  at  that  place,  for  that  it  belonged  to  one  as  much  as 


92  RED    PIPE-STONE    QUARRY. 

to  another,  and  that  they  must  all  make  their  pipes  of  the 
stone.  Having  thus  spoken,  a  great  cloud  of  smoke  from 
his  great  red  pipe  rolled  over  them,  and  in  it  he  vanished 
away.  Just  at  the  moment  that  he  took  the  last  whiif  of  his 
great,  long,  red  pipe,  the  rocks  were  wrapped  in  a  blaze  of 
fire,  so  that  the  surface  of  them  was  melted.  Two  squaws, 
then,  in  a  flash  of  fire,  sunk  under  the  two  medicine  rocks, 
and  no  one  can  take  away  red  stone  from  the  place  without 
their  leave.  Where  the  gospel  is  unknown,  there  is  nothing 
too  improbable  to  be  received.  The  day  will,  no  doubt, 
arrive  when  the  wild  traditions  of  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry 
will  be  done  away  by  the  spread  of  the  gospel  of  the 
Redeemer. 

Here  the  hunter,  having  to  attend  his  sheep,  left  the 
three  brothers,  to  amuse  themselves  for  half  an  hour  with 
the  curiosities  in  his  cottage ;  after  which,  he  returned  to 
redeem  his  pledge,  by  relating  the  history  he  had  promised 
them. 


INDIAN 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Seminole  Indians — King  of  the  Red  Hills — Oceola — A  counci* 
— Agreement  to  an  exchange  of  land — Oceola  refuses  to  sign  the 
contract,  and  dashes  his  dagger  through  it — Oceola  made  prisoner, 
and  afterwards  set  at  liberty — His  message  to  the  whites — Oceola 
treacherously  made  prisoner  again — His  death — Adventures  of 
Nikkanochee^  prince  of  Econchatti. 

UICELY  after  they  were 
seated  the  hunter  began  (( and 
now,"  said  he,  "for  my  ac 
count  of  Nikkanochee,  prince 
of  Econchatti.  I  met  with  him  in 
Florida,  his  own  country,  when  he 
was  quite  a  child;  indeed  he  is  even 
•now  but  a  boy,  not  being  more 
than  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age. 
i;I  saw  him  latterly  in  London.  His 
history  will,  I  think,  interest  and  amuse  you.  The  Semi 
nole  Indians,  a  mixed  tribe,  from  whom  prince  Nikkanochee 
is  descended,  were  a  warlike  people,  settled  on  the  banks 

93 


94  THE    CHIEF    OCEOLA. 

of  the  Chattahoochee  and  Coaeta,  in  Florida.  In  a  battle 
which  took  place  between  the  Indians  and  a  party  of 
whites,  under  Major  Dade,  out  of  a  hundred  and  fourteen 
white  men,  only  two  escaped  the  tomahawks  of  tbeir  oppo 
nents.  A  Seminole  was  about  to  despatch  one  of  these  two, 
when  he  suddenly  called  to  mind  that  the  soldier  had  once 
helped  him  in  fitting  a  handle  to  his  axe  :  this  arrested  his 
uplifted  weapon,  and  the  life  of  the  soldier  was  spared." 

•Austin.  Noble  !  noble  !  If  all  the  Seminoles  were  like 
him,  they  were  a  noble  people. 

Hunter.  The  tribe  had  good  and  bad  qualities  ;  but  I  tell 
you  this  anecdote,  because  it  affords  another  proof  that  the 
hardy  Indian  warrior,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  relentless  ani 
mosity  against  his  enemy,  is  still  alive  to  a  deed  of  kind 
ness.  On  another  occasion,  when  the  Seminoles,  to  avenge 
injuries  which  their  tribe  had  received,  wasted  the  neigh 
borhood  with  fire  and  tomahawk,  they  respected  the  dwell 
ing  of  one  who  had  shown  kindness  to  some  of  their  tribe. 
Even  though  they  visited  his  house,  and  cooked  their  food 
at  his  hearth,  they  did  no  injury  to  his  person  or  his  property. 
Other  dwellings  around  it  were  burned  to  the  ground,  but 
for  years  his  habitation  remained  secure  from  any  attack  on 
the  part  of  the  grateful  Seminoles. 

Basil.  When  I  go  abroad,  I  will  always  behave  kindly 
to  the  poor  Indians. 

Hunter.  That  is  right ;  "  do  unto  others  as  you  would 
they  should  do  unto  you."  But  I  will  go  on  with  my 
relation.  The  father  of  Nikkanochee  was  king  of  the  Red 
Hills,  in  the  country  of  the  Seminoles  ;  but  not  being  very 
much  distinguished  as  a  warrior,  he  gave  up  the  command 
of  his  fighting  men  to  his  brother  Oceola,  a  chief  famous  for 
bodily  strength  and  courage.  Before*the  war  broke  out 
between  the  Seminoles,  Oceola  was  kind  and  generous ;  but 
when  once  the  war-cry  had  rung  through  the  woods,  and 
the  tomahawk  had  been  raised,  he  became  stern  and  im 
placable.  He  was  the  champion  of  his  nation,  and  the  ter 
ror  of  the  pale  faces  opposed  to  him. 


THE    CHIEF    OCEOLA.  95 

Brian.  He  must  have  made  terrible  work  with  his  toma 
hawk  ! 

Hunter.  No  doubt  he  did,  for  he  was  bold,  and  had 
never  been  taught  to  control  his  passions ;  the  command  of 
the  Saviour  had  never  reached  his  ears, "  Love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and 
pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  persecute  you," 
Matt.  v.  44.  The  red  man  of  the  forest  and  the  prairie  has 
had  much  to  embitter  his  spirit  against  his  enemies;  but  I 
wi!  I  proceed.  It  was  in  the  year  1835,  that  between  two  and 
three  hundred  red  warriors  assembled  at  Camp  King,  to 
hold  a  "talk,"  or  council.  They  were  met  by  a  battalion 
of  white  soldiers,  whp  had  two  generals  with  them.  At  this 
council,  it  was  proposed  by  the  whites  that  a  contract 
should  be  made  between  the  two  parties,  wherein  the  Semi- 
noles  should  give  up  their  lands  in  Florida  in  exchange  for 
other  lands  at  a  great  distance  from  the  place.  Some  of 
the  red  warriors  were  induced  to  make  a  cross  on  the  con 
tract  as  their  signature,  showing  that  they  agreed  therewith ; 
but  Oceola  saw  that  such  a  course  was  bartering  away  his 
country,  and  sealing  the  ruin  of  his  nation. 

•Austin.  I  hope  he  did  not  put  his  cross  to  it. 

Brian.  And  so  do  I.  .  I  hope  he  persuaded  all  the  rest  of 
the  red  warriors  not  to  sign  it. 

Hunter.  When  they  asked  him  in  his  turn  to  sign  the 
contract,  his  lip  began  to  curl  with  contempt,  and  his  eye  to 
flash  with  fiery  indignation.  "Yes!"  said  he,  drawing  a 
poinard  from  his  bosom,  with  a  haughty  frown  on  his  brow, 
"  Yes  !''  said  he,  advancing  and  dashing  his  dagger  while  he 
spoke,  not  only  through  the  contract,  but  also  through  the 
table  on  which  it  lay ;  "  There  is  my  mark  !" 

tftustin.  Well  ddne,  brave  Oceola  ! 

Brian.  That  is  just  the  way  that  he  ought  to  have 
acted. 

Basil.  He  was  a  very  bold  fellow.  But  what  did  the 
generals  say  to  him  ? 

Hunter.  His  enemies  the  whites,  for  they  were  enemies, 


96  OCEOLA'S    REVENGE. 

directly  seized  him,  and  bound  him  to  a  tree.  This  was 
done  in  a  cruel  manner,  for  the*  cords  cut  deep  into  his 
flesh.  After  this  he  was  manacled  and  kept  as  prisoner  in 
solitary  confinement.  When  it  was  thought  that  his  spirit 
was  sufficiently  tamed,  and  that  what  he  had  suffered 
would  operate  as  a  warning  to  his  people,  he  was  set  at 
liberty. 

•Austin.  The  whites  acted  a  cruel  part,  and  they  ought 
to  have  been  ashamed  of  themselves. 

Brian.  Yes,  indeed.  But  what  did  Oceola  do  when  he 
was  free  ? 

Hunter.  Revenge  is  dear  to  every  one  whose  heart  God 
has  not  changed;  no  wonder  that  it  should  burn  in  the 
bosom  of  an  uneducated  Indian.  He  had  never  heard  the 
words  of  Holy  Scripture,  "  Vengeance  is  mine  ;  I  will 
repay,  saith  the  Lord/7  Rom.  xii.  19  ;  but  rather  looked  on 
revenge  as  a  virtue.  Hasting  to  his  companions,  he  made 
the  forest  echo  with  the  wild  war-whoop  that  he  raised  in 
defiance  of  his  enemies. 

Brian.  I  thought  he  would !  That  is  the  very  thing 
that  I  expected  he  would  do. 

Hunter.  Many  of  the  principal  whites  fell  by  the  rifles 
of  the  Indians  ;  and  Oceola  sent  a  proud  message  to  Gene 
ral  Clinch,  telling  him  that  the  Seminoles  had  a  hundred 
and  fifty  barrels  of  gunpowder,  every  grain  of  which 
should  be  consumed  before  they  would  submit  to  the  whites. 
He  told  him,  too,  that  the  pale  faces  should  be  led  a 
dance  for  five  years  for  the  indignities  they  had  put  upon 
him.  Oceola  and  the  Seminoles  maintained  the  war  until 
the  whites  had  lost  many  hundred  men,  and  expended 
vast  sums  of  money.  At  last,  the  brave  chieftain  was 
made  prisoner  by  treachery. 

Austin.  How  was  it  ?  How  did  they  take  him  prisoner. 

Hunter.  The  whites,  under  General  Hernandez,  in 
vited  Oceola  to  meet  them,  that  a  treaty  might  be  made, 
and  the  war  brought  to  an  end.  Oceola  went  with 
his  warriors;  but  no  sooner  had  he  and  eight  of  his 


OCEOLA     MADE    PRISONER.  Q* 

warriors  placed  their  rifles  against  a  tree,  protected  as  they 
thought  by  the  flag  of  truce,  than  they  were  surrounded  by 
a  large  body  of  soldiers,  and  made  prisoners. 

Brian.  That  General  Hernandez  was  an  unjust  and 
treacherous  man :  he  had  no  business  to  have  touched  one 
of  them  while  the  flag  of  truce  was  there.  Oceola  ought 
to  have  kept  away  from  them. 

Basil.  And  what  did  they  do  to  Oceola  ?  Did  they 
kill  him? 

Hunter.  They  at  first  confined  him  in  the  fort  at  St. 
Augustine,  and  afterwards  in  a  dungeon  at  Sullivan's 
Island,  near  Charleston.  It  was  in  the  latter  place  that  he 
died,  his  head  pillowed  on  the  faithful  bosom  of  his 
wife,  who  never  forsook  him,  and  never  ceased  to  regard 
him  with  homage  and  affection.  He  was  buried  at  Fort 
Moultrie,  where  he  has  a  monument,  inscribed  "  Oceola." 
His  companions,  had  they  been  present  at  his  grave,  would 
not  have  wept.  They  would  have  been  glad  that  he  had 
escaped  from  his  enemies. 

"  We  do  not  weep— 

The  red  man  hath  no  tear  to  shed  for  thee — 
Smiling1,  we  gaze  upon  the  dreamless  sleep, 
The  fortress  broken,  and  the  captive  free." 

Austin.  Poor  Oceola ! 

Hunter.  This  is  only  one  instance  among  thousands,  in 
which  the  red  man  has  fallen  a  victim  to  the  treachery  and 
injustice  of  the  whites.  It  is  a  solemn  thought,  that  when 
the  grave  shall  give  up  its  dead,  and  the  trumpet  shall  call 
together,  face  to  face,  the  inhabitants  of  all  nations  to  judg 
ment  ;  solemn  is  the  thought,  that  the  deceitful,  the  unjust, 
and  the  cruel  will  have  to  meet  those  whom  their  de 
ceit,  their  injustice,  and  cruelty  have^ destroyed.  Well  may 
the  oppressor  tremble.  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  hath  purposed, 
and  who  shall  disannul  it  ?  and  his  hand  is  stretched  out, 
and  who  shall  turn  it  back  ?"  Isa.  xiv.  27. 


N 


98  FLIGHT     OF    NIKKANOCHEE. 

Basil.  But  you  have  not  yet  told  us  of  Nikkanochee 
Please  to  let  us  hear  all  about  him. 

Brian.  Ay  ;  we  have  forgotten  Nikkanochee. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  tell  you  all  that  I  know  of  him ; 
but  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  of  his  uncle,  he  being 
so  famous  a  warrior.  Nikkanochee  is  called  Oceola  Nik 
kanochee,  prince  of  Econchatti ;  in  order  that  he  may  bear 
in  mind  Oceola,  his  warlike  uncle,  and  Econchatti-mico, 
king  of  the  Red  Hills,  in  Florida,  his  father.  It  is  thought 
that  Nikkanochee  was  born  on .  the  banks  of  the  river 
Chattahoochee.  He  can  just  remember  the  death  of  his 
mother,  when  he  was  left  alone  with  her  in  a  wigwam ; 
but  whether  his  father  died  in  battle  or  captivity  he  cannot 
tell.  What  I  have  to  tell  you  about  Nikkanochee  took 
place  during  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  and  his  uncle  Oceola. 
The  white  men,  the  Americans,  being  at  war  with  the  Sem- 
inoles,  the  war-men  of  the  latter  were  obliged  to  band 
themselves  together  to  fight,  leaving  their  squaws  (wives) 
and  children  to  travel  as-  well  as  they  could  to  a  place 
of  safety.  Nikkanochee,  child  as  he  was,  travelled  with 
the  women  through  the  pine  forests  night  and  day ; 
but  a  party  of  horse  soldiers  overtook  them,  and  drove 
them  as  captives  towards  the  settlements  of  the  whites. 

Brian.  Ay!  now  Nikkanochee  is  a  prisoner  !  What  is 
to  become  of  him  now  ? 

Hunter.  The  mothers  \vere  almost  frantic.  The  wig 
wams  they  saw  on  the  road  had  been  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  the  whole  country  had  been  devastated.  At  nightfall 
they  came  to  a  village  ;  and  here,  when'it  grew  dark,  Nik 
kanochee,  a  little  girl,  and  two  Indian  women,  make  their 
escape.  For  some  days  they  fled,  living  on  water  melons 
and  Indian  corn,  till  they  fell  in  with  a  party  of  their 
own  war-men. 

•Austin.  I  hope  they  were  safe  then. 

Hunter.  Not  being  numerous,  they  were  obliged  tc 
retreat.  Pursued  by  their  enemies,  they  fled,  sometimes  on 
horseback,  and  sometimes  on  foot.  A  part  of  the  way, 


WANDERINGS    OF    NIKKANOCHEE.         99 

through  the  swamps,  thickets,  and  pine  forests,  Nik 
kanochee  rode  on  the  back  of  his  father.  At  night,  while 
the  party  were  sitting  round  a  fire,  in  the  act  of  preparing 
for  refreshment  some  dried  meat,  and  a  wild  root  of 
the  woods  reduced  into  flour,  an  alarm  was  given.  In  a 
moment  they  were  obliged  once  more'  to  fly,  for  their 
enemies  were  upon  their  track,  accompanied  with  blood 
hounds. 

Basil.  Bloodhounds  ! 

Hunter.  Yes,  bloodhounds  !  fierce  and  strong  dogs,  bred 
up  on  purpose  to  hunt  the  Red  Indians. 

Brian.  Dreadful !  dreadful ! 

Hunter.  The  fire  was  put  out  by  the  Indians,  their 
blankets  hastily  rolled  up,  and  the  squaws  and  children  sent 
to  hide  themselves  in  the  tangled  reeds  and  brushwood  of  a 
swamp,  while  the  war-men  turned  against  the  dogs  and  sol 
diers.  The  Indians  beat  off  their  enemies,  but  Econchatti- 
mico  was  wounded  in  the  wrist,  a  musket  ball  having  passed 
through  it.  Nikkanochee  found  his  father,  faint  from  loss 
of  blood,  lying  on  the  ground. 

Basil.  What  sad  work  it  is  to  have  so  much  fighting 
between  white  men  and  red  men  !  Why  cannot  they  live 
at  peace,  and  not  act  so  cruelly  ? 

Brian.  You  must  not  interrupt  the  story,  -Basil.  I  want 
to  know  how  it  all  ended.  Did  Econchatti  die  of  his  wound  ? 

Hunter.  No ;  but  he  and  the  war-men,  expecting  that 
their  enemies  would  return  in  greater  numbers,  were  again 
forced  to  fly :  the  dreary  pine  forest,  the  weedy  marsh,  and 
the  muddy  swamp  were  once  more  passed  through.  Brooks 
and  rapid  rivers  were  crossed  by  Econchatti,  wounded  as 
he  was,  with  his  son  on  his  back.  He  swam  with  one  hand, 
for  the  other  was  of  little  use  to  him. 

Austin.  Econchatti  seems  to  be  as  brave  a  man  as 
Oceola.  Did  they  escape  from  their  enemies  ? 

Hunter.  While  they  were  sitting  down  to  partake  of 
some  wild  turkey  and  deer,  with  which  their  bows  and 
arrows  had  furnished  them  during  their  flight,  their  enemies 


100  NIKKANOCHEE     CAPTURED. 

again  burst  upon  them.  The  Seminoles  had,  perhaps,  alto 
gether  two  thousand  warriors,  with  Oceola  at  their  head ; 
but  then  the  whites  had  at  least  ten  thousand,  to  say  nothing 
of  their  being  much  better  armed.  Besides,  there  were 
also  their  ferocious  bloodhounds.  No  wonder  that  the 
Seminoles  were  compelled  to  fly,  and  only  to  fight  when 
they  found  a  favourable  opportunity.  But  I  must  not  dwell 
longer  than  necessary  on  my  account ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that, 
after  all  the  bravery  of  the  warriors,  and  all  the  exertions  of 
Econchatti,  Nikkanochee  once  more  fell  into  the  hand  of 
the  enemy. 

Basil.  Oh,  that  was  terrible !  I  hoped  he  would  get 
away  safe. 

Brian.  So  did  I.  I  thought  the  white  men  would  be 
tired  of  following  them  into  those  dreary  forests  and  muddy 
swamps. 

Hunter.  The  human  heart  is  bitter  and  implacable,  until 
it  is  changed  by  Divine  grace.  Then,  and  not  before,  the 
lion  becomes  the  lamb,  and  cruelty  gives  way  to  kindness. 
If  all  men  truly  feared  God,  and  humbly  obeyed  the  injunc 
tions  of  the  Redeemer,  there  would  be  no  more  heart  burn 
ings,  and  strife,  and  bloodshed;  but  human  beings  would, 
in  thought,  word,  and  deed,  "love  one  another." 

Austin.  Hew  was  it  that  Nikkanochee  was  taken  ? 

Hunter.  He  was  captured  on  the  25th  of  August,  1836, 
by  some  soldiers  who  were  scouring  the  country,  and 
brought  by  them  the  next  day  to  Colonel  Warren,  at  New- 
nansville.  Poor  little  fellow,  he  was  so  worn,  emaciated, 
and  cast  down,  that  he  could  not  be  looked  upon  without 
pity.  For  several  weeks  he  hardly  spoke  a  word.  No 
tear,  no  sob,  nor  sigh  escaped  him ;  but  he  appeared  to  be 
continually  on  the  watch  to  make  his  escape.  The  soldiers 
who  had  taken  him  prisoner,  declared  that  they  had  fol 
lowed  his  track  full  forty  miles  before  they  came  up  to  him. 
From  the  rising  to  the  setting  of  the  sun  they  hurried  on, 
and  still  he  was  before  them.  Nikkanochee  must  then  have 
been  only  about  five  or  six  years  old. 


ACCOUNT    OF    HIS    FLIGHT.  101 

Basil.  Why,  I  could  not  walk  so  far  as  forty  miles  to  save 
my  life.  How  did  he  manage  it  ? 

Hunter.  You  have  not  been  bicught  up  ,ike  an  Indian. 
Fatigue,  and  hardship,  and  danger  are  endured  by  red  men 
from  their  earliest  youth.  The  back  to  the  burden,  Basil. 
You  have  heard  the  saying,  "  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the 
shorn  lamb."  When  the  soldiers  came  up  to  Nikkanochee, 
he  darted  into  the  bushes  and  long  grass,  where  they  found 
him.  At  first,  he  uttered  a  scream  ;  but,  soon  after,  he 
offered  the  soldiers  a  peach  which  he  had  in  his  hand,  that 
they  might  let  him  go.  Placed  on  horseback  behind  one  of 
the  troopers,  he  was  brought  to  the  military  station  at  New- 
nansville 

Brian.  They  have  him  now,  then,  fast  enough.  I  won 
der  what  became  of  Econchatti-mico,  his  father. 

Hunter.  That  is  not  known.  I  should  have  told  you 
that,  in  the  Seminole  language,  "Econ,"  means  hill  or  hills; 
"Chatti,"  is  red;  and  the  signification  of  "mico,"  is  king  : 
so  that  Econchatti-mico  is,  all  together,  King  of  the  Red 
Hills.  The  soldiers  who  captured  Nikkanochee  disputed 
among  themselves  whether  he  ought  not  to  be  killed.  Most 
of  them  were  for  destroying  every  Indian  man,  woman,  or 
child  they  met ;  but  one  of  them,  named  James  Shields,  was 
determined  to  save  the  boy's  life,  and  it  was  owing  to  his 
hnmanity  that  Nikkanochee  was  not  put  to  death. 

Brian.  That  man  deserves  to  be  rewarded.  I  shall  not 
forget  James  Shields. 

Hunter.  When  Nikkanochee  had  afterwards  become  a 
little  more  reconciled  to  his  situation,  he  gave  some  account 
of  the  way  in  which  he  was  taken.  He  said,  that  as  he 
was  travelling  with  his  father  and  the  Indians,  the  white 
men  came  upon  them.  According  to  Indian  custom,  when 
a  party  is  surprised,  the  women  and  children  immediately 
fly  in  different  directions,  to  hide  in  the  bushes  and  long 
grass,  till  the  war-men  return  to  them  after  the  fight  or 
alarm  is  over.  Poor  little  Nikkanochee,  in  trying  to  cross 
a  rivulet,  fell  back  again  into  it,  Besides  this  misfortune, 

9* 


102  ACCOUNT    OF    HIS    FLIGHT. 

he  met  with  others,  so  that  h'e  could  not  keep  up  with  the 
party.  He  still  kept  on,  for  he  saw  an  old  coffee  pot 
placed  on  a  log;  and  Indians,  in  their  flight,  drop  or  place 
things  in  their  track,  as  well  as  break  off  twigs  from  the 
bushes,  that  others  of  their  tribe  may  know  how  to  follow 
them.  Nikkanochee  came  to  a  settlement  of  whites,  but 
he  struck  out  of  the  road  to  avoid  it.  He  afterwards 
entered  a  peach  orchard,  belonging  to  a  deserted  house,  and 
here  he  satisfied  his  hunger.  It  was  then  getting  dark,  but 
the  soldiers  saw  him,  and  set  off  after  him  at  full  gallop. 
In  vain  he  hid  himself  in  the  grass,  and  lay  as  still  as  a 
partridge,  for  they  discovered  him  and  took  him  away. 

Austin.  I  wonder  that  Econchatti-mico,  his  father,  or  the 
brave  Oceola,  his  uncle,  did  not  rescue  him. 

Hunter  It  is  thought  that  they  did  return  upon  the  back 
trail,  for  Newnansville  was  shortly  after  surrounded  by  In 
dians  with  Oceola  at  their  head ;  but  just  then  a  reinforcement 
of  soldiers  arrived,  and  the  Indians  were  obliged  to  retire. 
Had  not  the  soldiers  come  up  just  in  time,  the  whole 
garrison  might  have  fallen  by  the  rifles  and  scalping  knives 
of  enraged  Semmoles.  Nikkanochee  passed  a  year  with 
the  family  of  Colonel  Warren,  and  was  beloved  by  them 
all.  There  was,  no  doubt,  much  sympathy  felt  for  him, 
as  the  Nephew  of  a  well-known  warrior,  and  the  son 
of  the  king  of  a  warlike  people.  Nikkanochee  was  after 
wards  taken  under  the  protection  of  a  gentleman,  who 
became  much  attached  to  him.  He  was  educated  with 
other  children  and  taught  to  bend  his  knee  in  prayer,  and  to 
offer  praise  to  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  Thus 
in  the  providence  of  God,  was  Nikkanochee  brought  from 
being  a  heathen  to  be  a  worshipper  of  the  true  God  and 
Jesus  Christ. 

Brian.  How  much  longer  did  he  remain  in  America  ? 

Hunter.  A  very  few  years,  during  which  he  became  ex 
pert  in  climbing,  swimming,  loading  the  rifle,  arid  using  the 
spear.  He  was  bold  enough  to  attack  the  racoon  and  otter, 
and  was  not  afraid  even  of  the  alligator ;  few  of  his  years 


N1KKANOCHEE. 


103 


were  more  hardy,  or  could  bear  an  equal  degree  of  fatigue 
His  kind  protector,  who  adopted  him  as  his  own  child, 
brought  him  over  to  England  in  the  year  1840,  since  which 
time  he  has  written  an  interesting  history  of  his  young 
charge  In  the  first  page  is  an  animated  figure  of  Nikkan- 
ochee,  dressed  up  as  a  Seminole  warrior,  with  his  cap, 
feathers,  shield,  bow,  arrows,  quiver,  pendent  ornaments, 
and  mocassins.  You  cannot  look  at  it,  without  feeling  an 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  young  Seminole.  But  I  have 
given  you  a  long  account.  May  Nikkanochee  grow  up  to 
know  Him  whom  to  know  is  life  eternal,  and  become  as 
celebrated  for  virtue  and  piety  as  his  ancestors  and  relations 
were  fo>  valour  and  war. 


RESTING-PLACE    FOR    THE    DEAD. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  religion  of  the  Red  Indians — Medicine,  or  Mystery — Rain 
making — Marriage — Flattening  the  heads  of  children — Cradles — 
Practice  of  shaving  the  head — Exposure  of  the  aged — The  Leaping 
Rock — Catching  white  fish — Fasts,  feasts,  and  sacrifices — Runners 
— Indian  squaws,  with  their  customary  employments — Pipe  smoking 
— Dog  feast — A  common  life  scene  among  the  Indians — Smoking 
a  shield — Pipes — Pipe  of  peace — Indian  burial — Resting-place  for 
the  dead. 


PON  the  next  visit  of  the  three 
brothers  to  the  hunter,  he  pointed 
out  to  them  the  great  influence  that 
religion  had  on  the  character  of  a 
people  and  a  country.  A  false  re 
ligion  brought  with  it  a  train  of  un 
numbered  evils ;  while  a  knowledge 
of  the  true  God,  and  a  living  faith  in  the  Saviour  who  died 
for  sinners,  continually  promoted  among  mankind  princi 
ples  of  justice  and  kindness,  and  communicated  to  their 
hearts  the  blessings  of  peace  and  joy.  "  True  it  is,"  said 
he,  "  that  among  professedly  Christian  people  there  is  much 
104 


RELIGION    OF    THE    RED    INDIANS.        105 

of  evil ;  much  of  envy,  hatred,  malice,  and  uncharitable- 
ness  ;  of  injustice,  covetousness,  and  cruelty  :  but  this  pro 
ceeds  not  from  Christianity,  but  from  the  fallen  state  of 
human  nature,  which  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God  can 
renew,  and  from  the  great  number  of  those  who  profess  to 
be  Christians,  while  they  are  uninfluenced  by  the  gospel  of 
the  Redeemer.  Christianity  will  neither  allow  us  to  dishonour 
God  by  bowing  down  to  idols,  nor  to  injure  man  by  injustice 
and  oppression.  The  Red  Indians  of  North  America  are  not 
found  bowing  down  to  numberless  idols,  as  the  inhabitants 
of  many  countries  are :  they  worship  what  they  call  <  the 
Great  Spirit,'  with  a  deep  reverence,  humbling  themselves 
before  him,  and  undergoing  self-imposed  torments,  to  gain 
his  good  will,  which  the  generality  of  Christians,  in  the 
manifestation  of  their  faith,  would  find  it  hard  to  endure. 
They  believe  also  in  an  Evil  Spirit,  as  well  as  in  a  future 
state;  and  that  they  shall  be  happy  or  unhappy,  just  as  they 
have  done  good  or  evil,  according  to  their  estimate  of  those 
qualities ;  but  this  belief  is  mixed  up  with  mysteries  and 
superstitions  without  number.  I  speak  of  Red  Indians  in 
the  forest  and  the  prairie,  who  know  nothing  of  God's  word, 
and  who  have  never  heard  the  voice  of  a  missionary." 

Austin.  You  told  us  what  the  Sioux,  the  Riccarees,  the 
Tuskaroras,  and  the  Mandans  called  the  Great  Spirit. 
Please  to  tell  us  again. 

Hunter.  The  Mandans  call  him  Mah-ho-peneta ;  the 
Riccarees,  Ka-ke-iva-rooh-teh  ;  the  Sioux,  Wo-kon-she-cha  ; 
and  the  Tuskaroras,  Ye-wun-ni-yoh.  The  different  tribes 
believe,  that  if  they  are  expert  in  the  chase,  bold  in  battle, 
and  slay  many  of  their  enemies,  they  shall  live  forever,  after 
death,  in  beautiful  hunting  grounds,  enjoying  the  pleasures 
of  the  chase  continually.  You  know  that  we,  as  Christians, 
are  enjoined  to  forgive  our  enemies ;  but  untutored  Indians 
delight  in  revenge  :  they  love  to  boast,  and  to  shed  blood ; 
but  we  are  taught,  by  God's  holy  word,  to  be  humble  and 
merciful.  There  is  one  thing  that  mingles  much  with  the 
0 


106  THE    MEDICINE    BAG. 

Indian  character ;  and  that  is,  medicine,  or  mystery     I  must 
try  if  I  can  make  you  understand  it. 

•Austin.  Yes ;  I  should  like  to  know  all  about  that  very 
well. 

Hunter.  Go  where  you  may,  among  the  Ojibbe ways  and 
Assinneboins  of  the  north,  the  Choctaws  and  the  Seminoles 
of  the  south,  or  the  Crows,  the  Blackfeet,  and  the  Shiennes 
of  the  west,  every  Indian  has  his  me'dicine  or  mystery  bag, 
which  he  regards  with  reverence,  and  will  not  part  with  for 
any  price.  He  looks  upon  it  as  a  kind  of  charm,  or  guar 
dian  spirit,  that  is  to  keep  him  from  evil.  He  takes  it  with 
him  to  battle,  and  when  he  dies  it  is  his  companion. 

Austin.  But  what  is  it  ?  Is  there  any  thing  in  the  bag  ? 
What  is  it  that  makes  medicine  ? 

Hunter.  Every  thing  that  is  mysterious  or  wonderful  to 
an  Indian,  he  regards  as  medicine.  I  do  not  mean  such 
medicine  as  you  get  from  a  doctor ;  but  he  regards  it  as 
something  awful,  and  connected  with  spirits.  This  is  a 
strong  superstition,  which  has  laid  hold  of  the  red  man 
throughout  the  whole  of  North  America. 

Brian.  But  is  there  any  thing  in  the  medicine  bag  ? 

Hunter.  The  medicine  bag  is  usually  the  skin  of  some 
animal,  such  as  the  beaver,  otter,  polecat,  and  weazel ;  or 
of  some  bird,  as  the  eagle,  the  magpie,  and  hawk ;  or  of 
some  reptile,  as  the  snake  and  the  toad.  This  skin  is  stuffed 
with  any  thing  the  owner  chooses  to  put  into  it,  such  as  dry 
grass,  or  leaves ;  and  it  is  carefully  sewn  up  into  some  curi 
ous  form,  arid  ornamented  in  a  curious  manner.  Some 
medicine  bags  are  very  large,  and  form  a  conspicuous  part 
of  an  Indian's  appendages ;  while  others  are  very  small, 
and  altogether  hidden. 

Basil.  Why,  it  is  very  foolish  for  the  red  men  to  carry 
such  things  about  with  them. 

Hunter.  It  certainly  is  so ;  but  their  fathers  and  their 
tribes  have  done  so  for  many  generations,  and  it  would  be 
a  disgrace  to  them,  in  the  <r  own  estimation,  if  they  neglected 
to  do  the  same.  A  young  Indian,  before  he  has  his  medi- 


MEDICINE    MAN.  107 

.  4 

cine  bag)  goes,  perhaps,  alone  on  the  prairie,  or  wanders  in 
the  forest,  or  beside  some  solitary  lake.  Day  after  day,  and 
night  after  night,  he  fasts,  and  calls  on  the  Great  Spirit  to 
help  him  to  medicine.  When  he  sleeps,  the  first  animal,  or 
bird,  or  reptile  that  he  dreams  of,  is  his  medicine.  If  it  be 
a  weazel,  he  catches  a  weazel,  and  it  becomes  his  medicine 
forever.  If  it  be  a  toad  or  snake,  he  kills  whichever  it  may 
be ;  and  if  it  be  a  bird,  he  shoots  it,  and  stuffs  its  skin. 

Austin.  This  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  things  you 
have  told  us  yet. 

Hunter.  What  is  called  a  medicine  man,  or  a  mystery 
man,  is  one  who  ranks  high  in  his  tribe  for  some  supposed 
knowledge  :  he  can  either  make  buffaloes  come,  or  cure  dis 
eases,  or  bring  rain,  or  do  some  other  wonderful  things,  or 
persuade  his  tribe  that  he  can  do  them.  Indeed,  among^ 
Red  Indians,  hardly  any  thing  is  done  without  the  medicine 
man.  A  chief  in  full  dress,  would  as  soon  think  of  making 
his  appearance  without  his  head  as  without  his  medicine 
bag.  There  is  a  saying  among  the  Indians,  that  "  a  man 
lying  down,  is  medicine  to  the  grizzly  bear;"  meaning,  that 
in  such  a  position,  a  bear  will  not  hurt  him. 

Basil.  Is  it  true  ?  Will  not  the  grizzly  bear  hurt  a  man 
when  he  is  lying  down  ?  9 

Hunter.  So  many  people  say;  but  I  should  be  very  sorry 
to  trust  the  grizzly  bear.  I  am  afraid  that  he  would  be 
paying  his  respects  to  me  in  a  very  rough  way.  • 

Austin.  What  was  it  that  you  said  about  the  medicine 
man  bringing  rain  ? 

Hunter.  Some  of  the  mystery  men  are  famous  for  bring 
ing  rain  in  a  dry  season. 

Austin.  But  they  cannot  really  bring  rain. 

Hunter.  The  matter  is  managed  in  this  way. — When 
once  they  undertake  to  bring  rain,  they  keep  up  their  super 
stitious  ceremonies,  day  after  day,  till  the  rain  comes. 
Oftentimes  it  is  very  long  before  they  succeed.  It  was  in  a 
time  of  great  drought,  that  I  once  arrived  at  the  Mandan 
village  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  At  the  different  Indian  vil 


108  MEDICINE    MAN. 

lages,  peas  and  beans,  wild  rice,  corn,  melons,  squashes, 
pumpkins,  peaches,  and  strawberries  were  often  found  in 
abundance ;  but,  on  this  occasion,  the  Mandans  had  a  very 
poor  prospect  of  gathering  any  thing  that  required  rain  to 
bring  it  to  perfection.  The  young  and  the  old  were  crying 
out  that  they  should  have  no  green  corn. 

Austin.  Why  did  they  not  tell  the  medicine  men  to  make 
the  rain  come  ? 

Hunter.  They  did  so  :  but  it  was  not  quite  convenient  to 
the  medicine  men  ;  for  they  saw  clearly  enough  that  there 
was  not  the  slightest  appearance  of  rain.  After  putting  it 
off,  day  after  day,  the  sky  grew  a  little  cloudy  to  the  west, 
when  the  medicine  men  assembled  together  in  great  haste 
to  make  it  rain. 

Brian.  Ay  !  they  were  very,  very  cunning. 

Hunter.  No  sooner  was  it  known  that  the  medicine  men 
were  met  together  in  the  mystery  lodge,  than  the  vil 
lage  was  all  in  commotion.  They  wanted  rain,  and  they 
were  very  sure  that  their  medicine  men  could  bring  it  when 
they  pleased.  The  tops  of  the  wigwams  were  soon 
crowded.  In  the  mystery  lodge  a  fire  was  kindled,  round 
which  sat  the  rain  makers,  burning  sweet-smelling  herbs, 
^smoking  the  medicine  pipe,  and  calling  on  the  Great  Spirit 
to  open  the  door  of  the  skies,  and  to  let  out  the  rain. 

Basil.  That  is  the  way  they  make  it  rain,  is  it  ? 

Hunter.  At  last,  one  of  the  rain  makers  came  out  of  the 
mystery  lodge,  and  stood  on  the  top  of  it  with  a  spear  in  his 
hand,  which  he  brandished  about  in  a  commanding  and 
threatening  manner,  lifting  it  up  as  though  he  were  about 
to  hurl  it  up  at  the  heavens.  He  talked  aloud  of  the  power 
of  his  medicine,  holding  up  his  medicine  bag  in  one  hand, 
and  his  spear  in  the  other  ;  but  it  was  of  no  use,  neither  his 
medicine  nor  his  spear  could  make  it  rain  ;  and,  at  the  set 
ting  of  the  sun,  he  came  down  from  his  elevated  position  in 
disgrace. 

Austin.  Poor  fellow  !  He  had  had  enough  of  rain  mak 
ing  for  one  day. 


THE    RAIN    MAKER.  109 

Hunter.  For  several  days  the  same  ceremony  was  carried 
on,  until  a  rain  maker,  with  a  head-dress  of  the  skins  of 
birds,  ascended  the  top  of  the  mystery  lodge,  with  a  bow  in 
his  hand,  and  a  quiver  at  his  back.  He  made  a  long 
speech,  which  had  in  it  much  about  thunder  and*lightning, 
and  black  clouds,  and  drenching  rain ;  for  the  sky  was 
growing  dark,  and  it  required  no  great  knowledge  of  the 
weather  to  foretell  rain.  He  shot  arrows  to  the  sun-rise  and 
thesun-down  pointsof  the  heavens,  and  others  to  the  north  and 
the  south,  in  honour  of  the  Great  Spirit  who  could  send  the  rain 
from  all  parts  of  the  skies.  A  fifth  arrow  he  retained,  until 
it  was  almost  certain  that  rain  was  at  hand.  Then,  sending 
up  the  shaft  from  his  bow,  with  all  his  might,  to  make  a 
hole,  as  he  said,  in  the  dark  cloud  over  his  head,  he  cried 
aloud  for  the  waters  to  pour  down  at  his  bidding,  and  to 
drench  him  to  the  skin.  He  was  brandishing  his  bow  in 
one  hand,  and  his  medicine  in  the  other,  when  the  rain  came 
down  in  a  torrent.  The  whole  village  was  clamorous  with 
applause,  he  was  regarded  as  a  great  mystery  man,  whose 
medicine  was  very  powerful,  and  he  rose  to  great  distinc 
tion  among  his  tribe.  You  see,  then,  the  power  of  a  mys 
tery  man  in  bringing  rain.  Does  it  not  astonish  you  ? 

Jlustin.  No,  not  a  bit.     I  see  that  it  was  all  a  cheat. 

Brian.  I  could  make  it  rain  myself  as  well  as  he  did,  for 
he  never  shot  his  arrow  to  pierce  the  cloud  till  it  was  over 
his  head. 

Hunter.  To  be  a  mystery  man  is  regarded  as  a  great 
honour;  and  some  Indians  are  said  to  have  suspended  them 
selves  from  a  pole,  with  splints  through  their  flesh,  and 
their  medicine  bags  in  their  hands,  looking  towards  the  sun, 
for  a  whole  day,  to  obtain  it.  I  have  here  a  copy  of  one 
of  Mr.  Catlin's  portraits,  the  "  looks  and  very  resemblance" 
of  an  aged  chief,  who  combines  with  his  high  office,  the 
envied  title  of  mystery  or  medicine  man,  i.  e.  doctor — magi 
cian — prophet — soothsayer— jongleur — and  high  priest,  all 
combined  in  one  person,  who  necessarily  is  looked  upon  as 
"Sir  Oracle"  of  the  nation.  The  name  of  this  distinguished 

10 


110  A     STRANGE    CUSTOM. 

functionary  is  Wun-nes-ton,  the  white  buffalo  ;  and  on  his 
left  arm  he  presents  his  mystery-drum  or  tambour,  in  which 
are  concealed  the  hidden  and  sacred  mysteries  of  his  healing 
art.  He  belongs  to  the  Blackfoot  tribe. 

•AustirP.  When  I  go  among  the  Red  Indians,  I  will  not 
be  a  mystery  man. 

Hunter.  There  is  very  little  ceremony  in  an  Indian  mar 
riage.  The  father  may  be  seen  sitting  among  his  friends, 
when  the  young  Indian  comes  in  '.vith  presents,  to  induce 
him  to  give  him  his  daughter  for  a  wife.  If  the  presents 
are  not  liked,  they  are  not  accepted  ;  if  they  are  approved, 
the  father  takes  the  hand  of  his  daughter,  and  the  hand  of 
the  young  Indian,  and  slaps  them  together ;  after  which  a 
little  feasting  takes  place. 

Austin.  Why,  that  is  like  buying  a  wife. 

Hunter.  It  is ;  but  the  young  Indian  has  already  gained 
the  good  will  of  his  intended  wife  :  not  by  his  fine  clothes 
and  his  wealth,  for  he  has  neither  the  one  nor  the  other, 
but  by  showing  her  the  skins  of  the  bears  he  has  killed,  and 
the  scalps  and  scalp-locks  of  the  foes  he  has  slaughtered ; 
and  by  telling  her  that  he  will  hunt  for  her,  that  she  may 
be  kept  from  want,  and  fight  for  her,  that  she  may  be  pro 
tected  from  the  enemies  of  her  tribe.  Indians  have  strange 
customs:  the  Chinock  Indians  flatten  the  heads  of  their 
young  children,  by  laying  them  in  a  cradle,  with  a  pillow 
for  the  back  of  the  head,  and  then  pressing  the  forehead,  • 
day  after  day,  with  a  board,  that  lets  down  upon  it,  till  the, 
nose  and  forehead  form  a  straight  line. 

Brian.  I  should  not  like  my  head  to  be  flattened  in  that 
manner. 

Hunter.  Children  are  carried  about  in  these  cradles  on 
the  backs  of  their  mothers,  wherever  they  go ;  and  when 
children  die,  they  are  often  left,  in  their  cradles,  floating  on 
the  water  of  a  brook  or  pool,  which  their  superstition  teaches 
them  to  regard  as  sacred.  A  cluster  of  these  little  arks  or 
cradles,  or  coffins  as  they  may  be  called,  of  different  forms, 
in  a  lone  pool,  is  a  very  picturesque  and  affecting  sight. 


WUN-NES-TON    BLACKFOOT    CHIEF    AND    CONJURER. 


Ill 


EXPOSURE    OF    THE    AGED.  113 

Basil.  I  shall  often  think  of  the  pool,  and  the  little  cra 
dles  swimming  on  it.  Why,  it  is  just  like  the  picture  of 
Moses  in  the  bulrushes. 

Hunter.  The  Kowyas,  the  Pawnees,  the  Sacs  ana 
Foxes,  the  Osages,  and  the  loways,  all  shave  their  heads, 
leaving  a  tuft  on  the  crown  two  or  three  inches  in  length, 
and  a  small  lock  in  the  middle  of  it,  as  long  as  they  can 
get  it  to  grow.  By  means  of  this  small  lock  of  hair  braided, 
they  ornament  the  tuft  with  a  crest  of  the  deer's  tail  dyed 
scarlet,  and  sometimes  add  to  it  a  war-eagle's  feather. 

•flustin.  How  different  to  the  Crow  Indians !  They  do 
not  shave  off  their  hair ;  but  let  it  grow  till  it  hangs  down 
to  the  very  ground. 

Hunter.  You  have  not  forgotten  that,  I  see.  There  is  a 
cruel  custom  among  the  Red  Indians,  of  exposing  their 
aged  people,  that  is,  leaving  them  alone  to  die.  If  a  party 
are  obliged  to  remove  from  one  place  to  another  in  search 
of  food,  and  there  is  among  them  an  aged  man,  who  can  no 
longer  fight,  nor  hunt,  nor  fish,  nor  do  any  thing  to  support 
himself,  he  is  liable,  although  in  his  time  he  may  have  been 
a  war  chief,  to  be  left  alone  to  die.  I  have  seen  such  a  one 
sitting  by  a  little  fire  left  him  by  his  tribe,  with  perhaps  a 
buffalo  skin  stretched  on  poles  over  his  head,  and  a  little 
water  and  a  few  bones  within  his  reach.  I  have  put  my 
pipe  to  his  mouth,  given  him  a  pemican,  and  gathered  sticks, 
that  he  might  be  able  to  recruit  his  fire  ;  and  when,  months 
after,  I  have  returned  to  the  spot,  there  has  been  nothing 
left  of  him  but  his  skeleton,  picked  clean  by  the  wolves, 
bleaching  in  the  winds  that  blew  around. 

Austin.  This  is  one  of  the  worst  things  we  have  heard 
of  the  Red  Indians. 

Basil.  Oh,  it  is  very  sad  inceed  ! 

Hunter.  You  would  not  forsake  your  father,  in  old  age, 
in  that  manner,  would  you  ? 

•Austin.  No  !  As  long  as  we  could  get  a  bit  or  a  drop  he 
should  have  part  of  it,  and  we  would  die  with  him  rather 
than  desert  him. 

P  10* 


114  SACRIFICES. 

Brian  and  Basil.  Yes ;  that  we  would ! 

Hunter.  I  hope  so.  This  is,  I  say,  a  cruel  custom ;  but 
it  forms  a  part  of  Indian  manners,  so  that  the  old  men 
expect  it,  and,  indeed,  would  not  alter  it.  Indians  have  not 
been  taught,  as  we  have,  to  honour  their  parents,  at  least 
not  in  the  same  way ;  but  I  can  say  nothing  in  favour  of 
so  cruel  and  unnatural  a  custom.  Among  the  Sioux  oi 
the  Mississippi,  it  is  considered  great  medicine  to  jump  on 
the  Leaping  Rock,  and  back  again.  This  rock  is  a  huge 
column  or  block,  between  thirty  and  forty  feet  high,  divided 
from  the  side  of  the  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry.  It  is  about 
seven  feet  broad,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  main  rock 
of  about  six  or  eight  feet.  Many  are  bold  enough  to  take 
the  leap,  and  to  leave  their  arrows  sticking  in  one  of  its 
crevices ;  while  others,  equally  courageous,  have  fallen  from 
the  top  in  making  the  attempt,  and  been  dashed  to  pieces  at 
its  base. 

Brian.  When  you  go  to  Pipe-stone  Quarry,  Austin,  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  Leaping  Rock.  You  must  get  your 
medicine  in  some  other  way. 

•Austin.  I  shall  leave  the  Leaping  Rock  to  the  leaping 
Indians,  for  it  will  never  suit  me. 

Hunter.  There  is  a  very  small  fish  caught  in  the  river 
Thames,  called  white  bait,  which  is  considered  a  very  great 
luxury  ;  but,  to  my  taste,  the  white  fish  of  which  the  Chip- 
peways  take  great  abundance  in  the  rapids  near  the  Sault 
de  St.  Mary's,  are  preferable.  The  Chippeways  catch  them 
in  the  rapids  with  scoop-nets,  in  the  use  of  which  they  are 
very  expert.  The  white  fish  resemble  silmon,  but  are 
much  less  in  size. 

•Austin.  The  white  fish  of  the  Chippeways  will  suit  me 
better  than  the  Leaping  Rock  of  the  Sioux. 

Hunter.  Among  the  Red  Indians,  feasting,  fasting,  and 
sacrifices  of  a  peculiar  kind,  form  a  part  of  their  religious  or 
superstitious  observances.  Some  of  the  Pawnees,  in  former 
times,  offered  human  sacrifices;  but  this  cruel  custom  is 
now  no  more.  The  Mandans  frequently  oifered  a  finger  to 


SMOKING    THE    PIPE.  115 

the  God,  or  Evil  Spirit :  and  most  of  the  trioes  offer  a  norse, 
a  dog,  a  spear,  or  an  arrow,  as  the  case  may  be.  Over  the 
Mandan  mystery  lodge  used  to  hang  the  skin  of  a  white 
buffalo,  with  blue  and  black  cloth  of  great  value.  These 
were  intended  as  a  sacrifice  or  an  offering  to  the  Good  and 
Evil  Spirits,  to  avert  their  anger  and  to  gain  their  favour. 

Brian.  How  many  things  you  do  remember  ! 

Hunter.  All  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  keep  runners :  men 
swift  of  foot,  who  carry  messages  and  commands,  and 
spread  among  the  people  news  necessary  to  be  communi 
cated.  These  runners  sometimes  go  great  distances  in  a 
very  short  space  of  time. 

Brian.  You  must  have  your  runners,  Austin. 

Austin.  Oh,  yes,  I  will  have  my  runners  :  for  I  shall 
want  pipe-stone  from  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry,  and  -white 
fish  from  the  Chippeways  ;  and  then  I  shall  send  messages 
to  the  Cherokees  and  Choctaws,  the  Camachees,  the  Black- 
feet,  and  the  Crows. 

Hunter.  The  squaws,  or  wives  of  the  Indians,  labour 
very  contentedly,  seeming  to  look  on  servitude  as  their 
proper  calling.  They  get  in  wood  and  water;  theyvprepare 
the  ground  for  grain,  cook  victuals,  make  the  dresses  of  their 
husbands,  manufacture  pottery,  dress  skins,  attend  to  the 
children,  and  malce  themselves  useful  in  a  hundred  other 
ways. 

Brian.  I  think  the  squaws  behave  themselves  very  well. 

Hunter.  The  smoking  of  the  pipe  takes  place  on  all 
great  occasions,  just  as  though  the  Indians  thought  it  was 
particularly  grateful  to  Good  and  Evil  Spirits.  In  going  to 
war,  or  in  celebrating  peace,  as  well  as  on  all  solemn  occa 
sions,  the  pipe  is  smoked.  Oftentimes,  before  it  is  passed 
round,  the  stem  is  pointed  upwards,  and  then  offered  to  the 
four  points — east,  west,  north,  and  south.  In  the  hands  of 
a  mystery  man,  it  is  great  and  powerful  medicine.  If 
ever  you  go  among  the  red  men,  you  must  learn  to  smoke ; 
for  to  refuse  to  draw  a  whiff  through  the  friendly  pipe 
offered  to  you,  would  be  regarded  as  a  sad  affront. 


116  A    DOG    FEAST. 

Basil.  What  will  you  do  now,  Austin  ?  You  never 
smoked  a  pipe  in  your  life. 

•Austin.  Oh,  I  should  soon  learn;  beside,  I  need  only 
take  a  very  little  whiff. 

Hunter.  You  must  learn  to  eat  dog's  flesh,  too  ;  for  when 
the  Indians  mean  to  confer  a  great  honour  on  a  chief  or  a 
stranger,  they  give  him  a  dog  feast,  in  which  they  set  before 
him  their  most  favourite  dogs,  killed  and  cooked.  The 
more  useful  the  dogs  were,  and  the  more  highly  valued,  the 
greater  is  the  compliment  to  him  in  whose  honour  the  feast 
is  given ;  and  if  he  were  to  refuse  to  eat  of  the  dog's  flesh, 
thus  prepared  out  of  particular  respect  to  him,  no  greater 
offence  could  be  offered  to  his  hospitable  entertainers. 

Brian.  You  have  something  to  do  now,  however,  Austin, 
to  learn  to  eat  dog's  flesh. 

Austin.  You  may  depend  upon  it,  that  I  shall  keep  out 
of  the  way  of  a  dog  feast.  I  might  take  a  little  whiff  at 
their  big  pipe  ;  but  I  could  not  touch  their  dainty  dogs. 

Hunter.  In  some  of  the  large  lodges,  I  have  seen  very 
impressive  common  life  scenes.  Fancy  to  yourselves  a 
large  round  lodge,  holding  ten  or  a  dozen  beds  of  buffalo 
skins,  with  a  high  post  between  every  bed.  On  these  posts 
hang  the  shields,  the  war  clubs,  the  spears,  the  bows  and 
quivers,  the  eagle-plumed  head  dresses,  "and  the  medicine 
bags,  of  the  different  Indians  who  sleep  there  ;  and  on  the 
top  of  each  post  the  buffalo  mask,  with  its  horns  and  tail, 
used  in  the  buffalo  dance.  Fancy  to  yourselves  a  group  of 
Indians  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  with  their  wives  and 
their  little  ones  around  them,  smoking  their  pipes,  and  relat 
ing  their  adventures,  as  happy  as  ease  and  the  supply  of 
all  their  wants  can  make  them.  While  you  gaze  on  the 
scene,  so  strange,  so  wild,  so  picturesque,  and  so  happy,  a 
rush  of  friendly  feeling  for  the  red  man  thrills  through  your 
bosom,  a  tear  of  pleasure  starts  into  your  eye  ;  and,  before 
you  are  aware,  an  ejaculation  of  thankfulness  has  escaped 
your  lips,  to  the  Father  of  mercies,  that,  in  his  goodness 


MODES    OF    BURIAL.  117 

and  bounty  to  mankind,  he  has  not  forgotten  the  inhabitants 
of  the  forest  and  the  prairie. 

•Austin.  It  is  worth  going  to  North  America  to  see  such 
a  scene  ! 

Hunter.  The  Indians  have  a  method  of  hardening  their 
shields,  by  smoking  them  over  a  fire,  in  a  hole  in  the  ground ; 
and,  usually,  when  a  warrior  thus  smokes  his  shield,  he 
gives  a  feast  to  his  friends.  Some  of  the  pipes  of  the  Red 
Indians  are  beautiful.  The  bowls  are  all  of  the  red  stone, 
from  Pipe-stone  Quarry,  cut  into  all  manner  of  fantastic 
forms  ;  while  the  stems,  three  or  four  feet  long,  are  orna 
mented  with  braids  of  porcupine's  quills,  beaks  of  birds, 
feathers,  and  red  hair.  The  calumet,  or,  as  it  is  called, 
"  the  peace  pipe,"  is  indeed,  as  I  have  before  said,  great 
medicine.  It  is  highly  adorned  with  quills  of  the  war-eagle, 
and  never  used  on  any  other  occasion  than  that  of  making 
and  solemnizing  peace,  when  it  is  passed  round  to  the 
chiefs.  It  is  regarded  as  altogether  a  sacred  utensil.  An 
Indian's  pipe  is  his  friend  through  the  pains  and  pleasures 
of  life  ;  and  when  his  tomahawk  and  his  medicine  bag  are 
placed  beside  his  poor,  pallid  remains,  his  pipe  is  not  for 
gotten. 

•Austin.  When  a  Red  Indian  dies,  how  do  they  bury  him  : 

Hunter.  According  to  the  custom  of  his  tribe.  Some 
Indians  are  buried  under  the  sod ;  some  are  left  in  cots,  or 
cradles,  on  the  water ;  and  others  are  placed  on  frames 
raised  to  support  them.  You  remember  that  I  told  you  of 
Blackbird's  grave. 

•Austin.  Ay  !  he  was  buried  on  horseback,  on  the  top  of 
a  high  bluff,  sitting  on  his  horse.  He  was  covered  all  over 
with  sods. 

Hunter.  And  I  told  you  of  the  Chinock  children  floating 
on  the  solitary  pool. 

Basil.  Yes,  I  remember  them  very  well. 

Hunter.  Grown,  up  Chinocks  are  left  floating  in  cradles, 
just  in  the  same  manner ;  though  oftener  they  are  tied  up 
in  skins,  and  laid  in  canoes,  with  paddles,  pipes,  and  pro- 


118  INDIAN    BURYING-PLACE. 

visions,  and  then  hoisted  up  into  a  tree,  and  left  there  to 
decay.  In  the  Mandan  burial  place,  the  dead  were  ranged 
in  rows,  on  high  slender  frames,  out  of  the  way  of  the 
wolf,  dressed  in  their  best  robes,  and  wrapped  in  a  fresh 
buffalo  skin,  with  all  their  arms,  pipes,  and  every  necessary 
provision  and  comfort  to  supply  their  wants  in  their  journey 
to  the  hunting  grounds  of  their  fathers.  In  English  burial 
grounds,  there  are  always  some  monuments  grander  than 
the  rest,  to  set  forth  the  wealth,  the  station,  or  the  talents 
of  those  who  slumber  below  ;  and,  as  human  nature  is  the 
same  every  where,  so  in  the  resting  place  of  the  Red  In 
dians,  here  and  there  are  spread  out  a  few  yards  of  red  or 
blue  cloth,  to  signify  that  beneath  it  a  chief,  or  u  superior 
brave,  is  sleeping.  The  Mandan  dead  occupied  a  spot  on 
the  prairie.  Here  they  mouldered,  warrior  lying  by  the 
side  of  warrior,  till  they  fell  to  the  ground  from  their 
frames,  when  the  bones  were  buried,  and  the  skulls 
ranged  with  great  care,  in  round  rings,  on  the  prairie,  with 
two  buffalo  skulls  and  a  medicine  pole  in  the  centre. 

Austin.  Ay  !  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  the  wolf  to  come 
then,  for  there  would  be  nothing  for  him.  I  should  very 
much  like  to  see  an  Indian  burying  place: 

Hunter  Were  you  to  visit  one,  you  would  see  that  heart 
and  affections  are  at  work  under  a  red  skin,  as  well  as 
under  a  white  one ;  for  parents  and  children,  husbands 
and  wives,  go  there  to  lament  for  those  who  are  dear  to 
them,  and  to  humble  themselves  before  the  Great  Spirit, 
under  whose  care  they  believe  their  departed  relatives  to 
be.  The  skulls,  too,  are  visited,  and  every  one  is  placed 
carefully,  from  time  to  time,  on  a  tuft  of  sweet-smelling 
nerb  or  plant.  Life  is  but  a  short  season  with  both  the 
white  and  the  red  man,  and  ought  to  be  well  spent.  It  is 
as  a  flower  that  flourishes :  "  For  the  wind  passeth  over  it, 
and  it  is  gone  ;  and  the  place  thereof  shall  know  it  no 
more/'  Psa.  ciii.  16.  But  I  have  now  told  you  enough  for 
the  present.  Come  again,  as  soon  as  you  will ;  I  shall  have 
some  anecdotes  of  Red  Indians  ready  for  you. 


INDIAN    WARRIOR.  « 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Anecdotes  of  the  Red  Indians — Indian  observance  and  sagacity — J/t- 
dian  conscientiousness — Indian  honesty — Indian  ignorance — Indian 
shrewdness — Indian  cunning  and  deceit — Indian  heroism — Adven 
ture  of  an  American  trapper. 

OUNG  Austin  and  his  two  brothers 
with  willing  feet,  sparkling  eyes, 
and  beating  hearts,  again  set  off  for 
the  cottage  near  the  wood  On  an 
ordinary  occasion,  they  might  have 
found  time  for  a  little  pleasant  loiter 
ing  but  the  Indian  anecdotes  they 
expected  to  hear,  excited  their  curiosity  too  much  to  allow 
a  single  minute  to  be  lost.  A  pin  might  have  been  heard 
falling  on  the  ground,  when,  seated  in  the  cottage,  they 
listened  to  the  following  anecdotes  of  the  hunter. 

Hunter.  It  has  pleased  God  to  endue  Indians  with  quick 
perceptions.  They  are  amazingly  quick  in  tracing  an 
enemy,  both  in  the  woods  and  the  prairie  •  a  broken  twig  or 

119 


1^0          OBSERVATION    AND    SAGACITY. 

leaf,  or  the  faintest  impression  on  the  grass,  is  sufficient  to 
attract  their  attention.  The  anecdotes  I  am  about  to  relate 
are  believed  to  be  true,  but  I  cannot  myself  vouch  for  their 
correctness,  having  only  read  them,  or  heard  them  related 
by  others. 

An  Indian,  upon  his  return  home  to  his  hut,  one  day,  dis 
covered  that  his  venison,  which  had  been  hung  up  to  dry, 
had  been  stolen.  After  going  some  distance,  he  met  some 
persons,  of  whom  he  inquired  if  they  had  seen  a  little,  old, 
white  man,  with  a  short  gun,  and  accompanied  by  a  small 
dog  with  a  bob  tail.  They  replied  in  the  affirmative  ;  and, 
upon  the  Indian's  assuring  them  that  the  man  thus  described 
had  stolen  his  venison,  they  desired  to  be  informed  how  he 
was  able  to  give  such  a  minute  description  of  a  person 
whom  he  had  not  seen.  The  Indian  answered  thus  : 

"  The  thief  I  know  is  a  little  man,  by  his  having  made 
a  pile  of  stones  in  order  to  reach  the  venison,  from  the 
height  I  hung  it  standing  on  the  ground ;  that  he  is  an  old 
man,  I  know  by  his  short  steps,  which  I  have  traced  over 
the  dead  leaves  in  the  woods ;  that  he  is  a  white  man,  I 
know  by  his  turning  out  his  toes  when  he  walks,  which  an 
Indian  never  does ;  his  gun  I  know  to  be  stibrt,  by  the  mark 
which  the  muzzle  made  by  rubbing  the  bark  of  the  tree  on 
which  it  leaned;  that  the  dog  is  small,  I  know  by  his  tracks; 
and  that  he  has  a  bob  tail,  I  discovered  by  the  mark  of  it 
in  the  dust  where  he  was  sitting  at  the  time  his  master  was 
taking  down  the  meat." 

Brian.  Well  done,  Indian  !  Why,  nothing  could  escape 
a  man  like  that. 

Austin.  A  European  would  never  have  been  able  to 
describe  the  thief  without  seeing  him. 

Hunter.  You  shall  have  another  instance  of  the  quick 
perceptions  of  the  red  men.  A  most  atrocious  and  shock 
ing  murder  was  once  committed,  by  a  party  of  Indians,  on 
fourteen  white  settlers,  within  five  miles  of  Shamokin.  The 
surviving  whites,  in  their  rage,  determined  to  take  their  re 
venge  by  murdering  a  Delaware  Indian,  who  happened  to 


OBSERVATION    AND    SAGACITY.          121 

be  in  those  parts,  and  who  was  far  from  thinking  himself 
in  any  danger.  He  was  a  great  friend  to  the  whites,  was 
loved  and  esteemed  by  them,  and,  in  testimony  of  their 
regard,  had  received  from  them  the  name  of  Duke  Holland, 
by  which  he  was  generally  known. 

This  Indian,  satisfied  that  his  nation  were  incapable  of 
committing  such  a  foul  murder  in  a  time  of  profound  peace, 
told  the  enraged  settlers  that  he  was  sure  the  Delawares 
were  not  in  any  manner  concerned  in  it,  and  that  it  was  the 
act  of  some  wicked  Mingoes  or  Iroquois,  whose  custom  it 
was  to  involve  other  nations  in  wars  with  each  other,  by 
secretly  committing  murders,  so  that  they  might  appear  to 
be  the  work  of  others.  But  all  his  representations  were 
vain ;  he  could  not  convince  exasperated  men,  whose  minds 
were  fully  bent  on  revenge. 

At  last,  he  offered  that,  if  they  would  give  him  a  party 
to  accompany  him,  he  would  go  with  them  in  quest  of  the 
murderers,  and  was  sure  that  he  could  discover  them  by 
the  prints  of  their  feet,  and  other  marks  well  known  to  him, 
by  which  he  would  convince  them  that  the  real  perpetrators 
of  the  crime  belonged  to  the  Six  Nations. 

His  proposal  was  accepted.  He  marched  at  the  head  of 
a  party  of  whites,  and  led  them  into  the  tracks.  They  soon 
found  themselves  in  the  most  rocky  part  of  a  mountain, 
where  not  one  of  those  who  accompanied  him  could  dis 
cover  a  single  track,  nor  would  they  believe  that  men  had 
ever  trodden  on  this  ground,  as  they  had  to  jump  from  rock 
to  rock,  or  to  crawl  over  them.  They  began  to  believe  that 
the  Indian  had  led  them  across  these  rugged  mountains  in 
order  to  give  the  enemy  time  to  escape.  They  threatened 
him  with  instant  death  the  moment  they  should  be  con 
vinced  of  the  fraud. 

The  Indian,  true  to  his  promise,  took  pains  to  make  them 
perceive  that  an  enemy  had  passed  along  the  places  through 
which  he  was  leading  them.  Here,  he  showed  them  that 
the  moss  on  the  road  had  been  trodden  down  by  the  weight 
of  a  human  foot ;  there,  that  it  had  been  torn  and  dragged 
Q  11 


122  CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 

forward  from  its  place.  Again,  he  would  point  out  to  them, 
that  pebbles,  or  small  stones  on  the  rocks,  had  been  removed 
from  their  beds  by  the  foot  hitting  against  them ;  that  dry 
sticks,  by  being  trodden  upon,  were  broken ;  and,  in  one 
particular  place,  that  an  Indian's  blanket  had  been  dragged 
ever  the  rocks,  and  had  removed  or  loosened  the  leaves  lying 
there,  so  that  they  did  not  lie  flat,  as  in  other  places.  All 
these  marks  the  Indian  could  perceive  as  he  walked  along, 
without  even  stopping. 

At  last,  arriving  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  on  soft 
ground,  where  the  tracks  were  deep,  he  found  that  the 
enemy  were  eight  in  number ;  and,  from  the  freshness  of 
the  foot  prints,  he  concluded  that  they  must  be  encamped 
at  no  great  distance. 

This  proved  to  be  the  exact  truth ;  for,  after  gaining  the 
eminence  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley,  the  Indians  were 
seen  encamped :  some  having  already  lain  down  to  sleep, 
while  others  were  drawing  off  their  leggings,  or  Indian 
stockings,  for  the  same  purpose,  and  the  scalps  they  had 
taken  were  hanging  up  to  dry. 

"  See,"  said  Duke  Holland  to  his  astonished  companions, 
"  there  is  the  enemy ;  not  of  my  nation,  but  Mingoes,  as  I 
truly  told  you.  They  are  in  our  power.  In  less  than  half 
an  hour  they  will  be  all  fast  asleep.  We  need  not  fire  a 
gun,  but  go  up  and  tomahawk  them.  We  are  nearly  two 
to  one,  and  need  apprehend  no  danger.  Come  on,  and  you 
will  now  have  your  full  revenge." 

But  the  whites,  overcome  with  fear,  did  not  choose  to 
follow  the  Indian's  advice,  but  desired  him  to  take  them 
back  by  the  nearest  and  best  way.  This  he  did ;  and 
when  they  arrived  at  home,  they  reported  the  enemy  to 
have  been  so  great  that  they 'durst  not  venture  to  attack 
them. 

•ftustin.  This  instance  is  quite  as  wonderful  as  the  other. 

Brian.  I  would  not  have  an  Indian  after  me  for  the 
world ;  he  would  be  sure  to  find  me  out. 

Hunter.  Red  men  often  act  very  conscientiously.     One 


HONESTY.  123 

day,  an  Indian  solicited  a  little  tobacco  of  a  white  man,  to 
fill  his  pipe.  Having  some  loose  in  his  pocket,  the  white 
man  gave  him  a  handful.  The  next  day,  the  Indian 
returned  in  search  of  the  man  who  had  given  him  the 
$obacco. 

"  Me  wish  to  see  him,"  said  the  Indian. 

"Why  so?"  inquired  some  one. 

"  Why,  me  find  money  with  the  tobacco." 

"  Well !  what  of  that  ?  Keep  it ;  it  was  given  to  you." 

"Ah  !"  said  the  Indian,  shaking  his  head,  "me  got  good 
man  and  bad  man  here,"  pointing  to  his  breast.  "  Good 
man  say,  <  Money  not  yours  ;  you  must  return  it :'  bad  man 
say,  (JTis  yours;  it  was  given  to  you/  Good  man  say, 
'  That  not  right ;  tobacco  yours,  money  not  yours.'  Bad 
man  say,  *  Never  mind,  nobody  know  it;  go  buy  rum.' 
Good  man  say,  <  Oh  no  ;  no  such  thing.'  So  poor  Indian 
know  not  what  to  do.  Me  lie  down  to  sleep,  but  no  sleep ; 
good  man  and  bad  man  talk  all  night,  and  trouble  me.  So 
now,  me  bring  money  back :  now,  me  feel  good." 

Basil.  I  like  that  Indian  very  much. 

Brian.  No  one  could  have  acted  more  honestly. 

Hunter.  Whatever  the  Red  Indians  may  be,  when 
oppressed,  wronged,  and  deceived  by  the  whites ;  and 
however  they  may  act  towards  their  enemies  ;.,they  are 
usually  honest  towards  their  own  tribe.  While  I  was  resi 
ding  on  the  Big  Beaver,  says  one  who  lived  much  among 
them,  I  passed  by  the  door  of  an  Indian,  who  was  a  trader, 
and  had,  consequently,  a  quantity  of  goods  in  his  house. 
He  was  going  with  his  wife  to  Pittsburg,  and  they  were 
shutting  up  the  house ;  as  no  person  remained  in  it  during 
their  absence.  This  shutting  up  was  nothing  else  than 
putting  a  large  hominy  pounding-block,  with  a  few  sticks 
of  wood,  outside  against  the  door,  so  as  to  keep  it  closed. 
As  I  was  looking  at  this  man  with  attention,  while  he  was 
so  employed,  he  addressed  me  in  these  words : — 

"See,  my  friend,  this  is  an  Indian  lock  that  I  am  putting 
to  my  door." 


.124   IGNORANCE  AND  SUPERSTITION. 

I  answered,  "  Well  enough ;  but  I  see  you  leave  much 
property  in  the  house :  are  you  not  afraid  that  those  articles 
will  be  stolen  while  you  are  gone  ?" 

"Stolen!  by  whom?"  v 

"  Why,  by  Indians,  to  be  sure." 

"  No,  no,"  replied  he, "  no  Indian  would  do  such  a  thing. 
Unless  a  white  man,  or  .white  people,  should  happen  to 
come  this  way,  I  shall  find  all  safe  on  my  return." 

Basil.  If  we  were  to  leave  our  doors  in  that  way,  our 
houses  would  be  sure  to  be  robbed. 

* 

Hunter.  No  doubt  they  would ;  but  Indians  have  good 
and  bad  qualities.  The  Holy  Scriptures  say,  that  "  the 
heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked," 
Jer.  xvii.  9 ;  and,  therefore,  we  must  not  expect  too  much 
from  the  poor  red  men,  especially  as  they  have  been  brought 
up  in  ignor'ance  of  Gogi's  word  and  will :  but  such  instances 
as  those  I  have  related  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  The 
notion  entertained  by  the  Iroquois  Indians,  respecting  the 
creation  of  mankind,  will  show  how  ignorant  they  are  with 
respect  to  the  Creator  of  all  things;  but,  indeed,  if  the 
blessed  book  of  truth  were  not  in  our  hands,  we  should  be 
equally  ignorant  ourselves.  Before  man  existed,  say  they, 
there  were  three  great  and  good  spirits ;  of  whom  one  was 
superior  jjo  the  other  two,  and  is  emphatically  called  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  the  Good  Spirit.  At  a  certain  time,  this 
exalted  being  said  to  one  of  the  others,  "  Make  a  man." 
He  obeyed  ;  and,  taking  chalk,  formed  a  paste  of  it,  and 
moulding  it  into  the  human  form,  infused  into  it  the  animat 
ing  principle,  and  brought  it  to  the  Great  Spirit.  He,  after 
surveying  it,  said,  "  This  is  too  white." 

He  then  directed  the  other  to  make  a  trial  of  his  skill. 
Accordingly,  taking  charcoal,  he  pursued  the  same  process, 
and  brought  the  result  to  the  Great  Spirit ;  who,  after  sur 
veying  it,  said,  "  It  is  too  black." 

Then  said  the  Great  Spirit,  "  I  will  now  try  myself;" 
and  taking  red  earth,  he  formed  an  Indian.  On  surveying 
tt,  he  said,  "This  is  a  proper,  or  perfect  man." 


SHREWDNESS.  125 

After  relating  the  strange  opinion  of  the  Iroquois  Indians, 
the  hunter  advised  the  young  people,  on  their  return  home, 
to  look  over  the  account  of  the  creation  of  the  world  and 
mankind,  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis;  telling  them  that 
they  could  not  be  too  thankful  for  the  opportunity  of  read 
ing  God's  word,  which  was  not  only  sufficient  to  keep  them 
from  error  in  such  things,  but  was  able  also  to  make  them 
"  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus," 
2  Tim.  iii.  15.  He  told  them,  that  though  the  Red  Indians 
were  ignorant  in  holy  things,  they  did  not  want  shrewdness 
and  sagacity.  "  When  General  Lincoln/'  said  he,  "  went 
to  make  peace  with  the  Creek  Indians,  one  of  the  chiefs 
asked  him  to  sit  down  on  a  log ;  he  was  then  desired  to 
move,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  to  move  still  farther.  The 
request  was  repeated,  until  the  general  got  to  the  end  of  the 
log.  The  Indian  still  said,  <  Move ^ farther ;'  to  which  the 
general  replied,  k'  I  can  move  no  farther/  '  Just  so  it  is 
with  us,'  said  the  chief.  *  You  have  moved  us  back  to  the 
water,  and  then  ask  us  to  move  farther.' ' 

Austin  and  his  brothers  were  so  pleased  with  the  Indian's 
shrewdness,  that  the  hunter  went  on  thus  : — 

Hunter.  "  Why  do  you  not  go  to  work,  and  get  some 
thing  to  purchase  some  clothes  with  ?"  said  Colonel  Dudley, 
one  day,  to  an  idle,  ragged  Indian,  who,  like  himself,  was 
standing  observing  some  men  employed  upon  a  house 
which  he  was  erecting. 

"  And  why  you  do  no  work,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Gover 
nor  ?"  asked  the  Indian,  by  way  of  reply. 

"  I  no  work  !  I  do  work,"  answered  the  governor. 

"  I'm  sure  you  no  work,"  said  the  Indian.  "  You  see 
others  work." 

"  But  I  work  with  my  head,"  said  the  governor  ;  at  the 
same  time  laying  his  finger  upon  his  forehead. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Indian,  "  me  work  too,  if  any  one  em 
ploy  me." 

"  Go,  then,"  said  the  governor,  "  and  kill  me  a  calf,  and 
you  shall  have  a  shilling." 

11* 


126  CUNNING    AND    DECEIT. 

The  Indian  seemed  well  pleased,  and  having  killed  the 
animal,  came  and  wanted  his  pay. 

"But  you  have  not  skinned  and  dressed  it." 

"  Calf  killed,  governor,"  said  the  Indian.  "  Me  kill  calf 
for  a  shilling  ;  give  another  shilling,  and  me  skin  and  dress 
it." 

The  governor  did  so  ;  and  after  skinning  and  dressing 
the  animal,  the  Indian  repaired  to  a  neighbouring  tavern, 
and  laid  out  a  part  of  his  money  in  rum.  He  then  came 
back,  and  told  the  governor  that  one  of  the  shillings  which 
he  had  given  him  was  bad,  and  the  man  no  take  it. 

The  governor,  though  satisfied  of  the  cheat,  gave  the 
Indian  another  shilling,  and  he  departed. 

In  a  few  days,  the  Indian  came  again  to  see  the  workmen. 
The  governor,  in  the  mean  time,  had  written  a  letter  to  the 
keeper  of  the  Bridewell  in  Boston,  requesting  him  to  give 
the  bearer  of  it  a  sound  whipping. 

While  the  Indian  was  idly  looking  at  the  workmen,  as 
in  the  former  instance,  the  governor  drew  the  letter  from 
his  pocket,  and  offered  the  Indian  half  a  crown  to  carry  and 
deliver  it. 

"  Will  you  carry  it?"  inquired  the  governor. 

"  Me  will/'  said  the  Indian,  quite  pleased ;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  holding  out  his  hand  for  the  letter  and  the 
money. 

Pretty  soon  after  starting,  he  met  another  Indian,  who 
lived  with  the  governor  as  a  servant. 

"  Here,"  said  he  to  the  servant,  "  here  a  letter." 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?"  asked  the  servant. 

"  Why,"  said  the  Indian,  "  governor  say  me  meet  you — 
give  you  the  letter — you  carry  it  to  Boston." 

Taking  the  letter  as  directed,  the  servant  turned  back, 
and,  on  delivering  it,  took  the  flogging  himself,  much  to  his 
surprise  and  indignation. 

On  his  return,  he  complained  most  bitterly.  The  gover 
nor  bit  his  lips,  told  him  how  the  matter  was,  and  deter 
mined  some  day  to  have  the  lazy  fellow  punished. 


A    PAWNEE    WARRIOR.  127 

But  the  Indian  took  good  care  to  keep  out  of  the  way. 
At  length,  however,  happening  to  see  him,  the  governor 
inquired  why  he  served  him  such  a  trick. 

"Oh!"  said  the  Indian,  looking  him  full  in  the  face, 
"  governor  say  me  no  work,  but  he  work — he  work  with 
the  head ;  me  think  me  work  with  the  head  too." 

"  Famous  !  famous  !"  cried  out  Austin. 
.  <*  Famous  !  famous  !"  echoed  Brian  and  Basil.  But  the 
hunter  told  them  that  the  conduct  of  the  Indian  did  not  ap 
pear  to  him  at  all  commendable.  "  We  should  always  dis 
tinguish,"  said  he,  "  between  the  sagacity  of  an  upright  in 
tention,  and  the  low  cunning  of  deceit  and  dishonesty. 
<  Bread  of  deceit  is  sweet  to  a  man ;  but  afterwards  his 
mouth  shall  be  filled  with  gravel.' "  Prov.  xx.  17.  The 
following  instance  of  heroism  in  a  Pawnee  brave,  related 
by  the  hunter,  highly  delighted  Austin. 

Hunter.  In  the  account  of  his  expedition  to  the  foot  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  1821,  Major  Long  relates  the  fol 
lowing  anecdote  of  a  Pawnee  brave,  son  of  Red  Knife, 
who,  the  succeeding  winter,  visited  the  city  of  Washington, 
during  the  session  of  Congress. 

This  brave,  of  fine  size,  figure,  and  countenance,  is  now 
about  twenty-five  years  old.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
his  heroic  deeds  had  acquired  for  him  in  his  nation  the  rank 
of  the  bravest  of  the  braves.  The  savage  practice  of  tor 
turing  and  burning  to  death  their  prisoners,  existed  in  this 
nation.  An  unfortunate  female,  of  the  Paduca  nation, 
taken  in  war,  was  destined  to  this  horrid  death. 

The  fatal  hour  had  arrived.  The  trembling  victim,  far 
from  her  home  and  her  friends,  was  fastened  to  the  stake. 
The  whole  tribe  was  assembled  on  the  surrounding  plains 
to  witness  the  awful  scene. 

Just  when  the  funeral  pile  was  to  be  kindled,  and  the 
whole  multitude  of  spectators  were  on  the  tiptoe  of  expec 
tation,  this  young  warrior,  having,  unnoticed,  prepared  two 
fleet  horses,  with  the  necessary  provisions,  sprang  from  his 
seat,  rushed  through  the  crowd,  liberated  the  victim,  seized 


128  HEROIC    CONDUCT. 

her  in  his  arms,  placed  her  on  one  of  the  horses,  mounted 
the  other  himself,  and  made  the  utmost  speed  towards  the 
nation  and  friends  of  the  captive. 

The  multitude,  dumb  and  nerveless  with  amazement  at 
the  daring  deed,  made  no  effort  to  rescue  their  victim  from 
her  deliverer.  They  viewed  it  as  the  immediate  act  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  submitted  to  it  without  a,  murmur,  and  quietly 
retired  to  their  village. 

The  released  captive  was  accompanied  three  days  through 
the  wilderness,  towards  her  home.  Her  deliverer  then  gave 
her  the  horse  on  which  she  rode,  and  the  necessary  provi 
sions  for  the  remainder  of  the  journey,  and  they  parted. 

On  his  return  to  the  village,  such  was  his  popularity,  that 
no  inquiry  was  made  into  his  conduct,  and  no  censure  was 
passed  upon  it.  Since  this  transaction,  no  human  sacrifice 
has  been  offered  in  this  or  any  other  of  the  Pawnee  tribes  ; 
the  practice  is  abandoned.  How  influential  is  one  bold  act 
in  a  good  cause  ! 

The  publication  of  this  anecdote  at  Washington,  led 
some  young  ladies,  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  their 
good  sense  and  good  feeling,  to  present  this  brave  and 
humane  Indian  with  a  handsome  silver  medal,  with  appro 
priate  inscriptions,  as  a  token  of  their  sincere  commenda 
tion  of  the  noble  act  of  rescuing  one  of  their  sex,  an  inno 
cent  victim,  from  a  cruel  death.  Their  address,  delivered  on 
this  occasion,  is  sensible  and  appropriate, closing  as  follows: 

"Brother — Accept  this  token  of  our  esteem;  always 
wear  it  for  our  sakes ;  and  when  again  you  have  the  power 
to  save  a  poor  woman  from  death  and  torture,  think  of  this, 
and  of  us,  and  fly  to  her  relief  and  rescue." 

To  this  the  Pawnee  made  the  following  reply : — 

"  Brothers  and  sisters — This,  the  medal,  will  give  me 
ease  more  than  I  ever  had ;  and  I  will  listen  more  than  I 
ever  did  to  white  men. 

"  I  am  glad  that  my  brothers  and  sisters  have  heard  of 
the  good  deed  that  I  have  done.  My  brothers  and  r 


ADVENTURE    OF    TWO    TRAPPERS.        129 

think  that  I  have  done  it  in  ignorance,  but  I  know  what  I 
have  done. 

"  I  did  it  in  ignorance,  and  I  did  not  know  that  I  did  good ; 
but  by  giving  me  this  medal  I  know  it." 

The  cruelty  of  torturing  and  burning  a  captive,  the  great 
danger  of  the  female  Indian,  and  the  noble  daring  of  the 
Pawnee  brave,  formed  the  subject  of  conversation  for  some 
time  among  the  young  people  ;  and  Austin  was  unbounded 
in  his  approbation  of  the  Pawnee.  Willingly  would  he 
have  contributed  towards  another  silver  medal  for  him,  and 
Brian  and  Basil  would  not  have  been  backward  in  doing 
their  part ;  but  the  affair  appeared  hardly  practicable,  inas 
much  as  a  reasonable  doubt  existed  whether  the  Pawnee 
brave  was  still  alive  ;  and,  even  if  he  were,  there  seemed 
to  be  no  direct  way  of  communicating  with  him.  The 
hunter  proposed  to  conclude  his  anecdotes  for  the  present, 
by  relating  some  adventures  of  an  American  trapper.  This 
proposal  being  warmly  seconded  by  the  young  people,  the 
hunter  thus  proceeeded: — 

Hunter.  On  the  arrival  of  the  exploring  party  of  Lewis 
and  Clarke  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri,  one  of  their 
number,  of  the  name  of  Colter,  was  desirous  of  joining  a 
trapper,  of  the  name  of  Potts,  who  was  in  that  neighbour 
hood  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  beaver,  an  abundance  of 
which  were  to  be  found  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The 
offer  was  a  very  advantageous  one;  and,  as  Colter  had 
always  performed  his  duty,  it  was  agreed  that  he  might  go. 
Accordingly,  he  was  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  took 
leave  of  the  party  for  the  solitude  of  the  woods. 

Aware  of  the  hostility  of  the  Blackfoot  Indians,  Colter 
and  his  companion  set  their  traps  at  night,  and  took  them 
up  early  in  the  morning,  remaining  concealed  during  the 
day.  They  were  examining  their  traps  early  in  the  morn 
ing,  in  a  creek  about  six  miles  from  that  branch  of  the  Mis 
souri  called  Jefferson's  Fork,  and  were  ascending  in  a  canoe, 
when  they  suddenly  heard  a  great  noise,  resembling  the 
trampling  of  animals;  but  they  could  not  ascertain  the  fact, 
R 


130        ADVENTURE    OF    TWO   TRAPPERS. 

as  the  high  perpendicular  banks  on  each  side  of  the  river 
impeded  their  view. 

Colter  immediately  pronounced  it  to  be  occasioned  by 
Indians,  and  advised  an  instant  retreat,  but  was  accused  of 
cowardice  by  Potts,  who  insisted  that  the  noise  was  occa 
sioned  by  buffaloes,  and  they  proceeded  on.  In  a  few 
minutes  afterwards  their  doubts  were  removed,  by  a  party 
of  Indians  making  their  appearance  on  both  sides  of  the 
creek,  to  the  amount  of  five  or  six  hundred,  who  beckoned 
them  to  come  on  shore. 

As  retreat  was  now  impossible,  Colter  turned  the  head  of 
the  canoe  to  the  shore,  and,  at  the  moment  of  its  touching 
an  Indian  seized  the  rifle  belonging  to  Potts ;  but  Colter, 
who  was  a  remarkably  strong  man,  immediately  retook  it, 
and  handed  it  to  Potts,  who  remained  in  the  canoe,  and,  on 
recovering  it,  pushed  off  into  the  river.  He  had  scarcely 
quitted  the  shore,  when  an  arrow  was  shot  at  him,  and  he 
cried  out,  "  Colter,  I  am  wounded." 

Colter  remonstrated  with  him  on  the  folly  of  attempting 
to  escape,  and  urged  him  to  come  on  shore. 

Instead  of  complying,  he  instantly  levelled  his  rifle  at  an 
Indian,  and  shot  him  dead  on  the  spot.  This  conduct,  sit 
uated  as  he  was,  may  appear  to  have  been  an  act  of  mad 
ness  ;  but  it  was  doubtless  the  effect  of  sudden  but  correct 
reasoning ;  for,  if  taken  alive,  he  must  have  expected  to 
have  been  tortured  to  death,  according  to  the  Indian  custom. 

They  now  seized  Colter,  stripped  him  entirely,  and  began 
to  consult  on  the  mariner  in  which  he  should  be  put  to  death. 
They  were  first  inclined  to  set  him  up  as  a  mark  to  shoot 
at;  but  the  chief  interfered,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  shoulder, 
asked  him  if  he  could  run  fast.  Colter,  who  had  been  some 
time  among  the  Kee  Catsa,  or  Crow  Indians,  had,  in  a  con 
siderable  degree,  acquired  the  Blackfoot  language,  and  was 
also  acquainted  with  Indian  customs ;  he  knew  that  he  had 
now  to  run  for  his  life,  with  the  dreadful  odds  of  five  or  six 
hundred  against  him,  and  these  armed  Indians.  He  cun- 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE.  131 

ningly  replied,  that  he  was  a  very  bad  runner,  although  he 
was  considered  by  the  hunters  as  remarkably  swift. 

The  chief  now  commanded  the  party  to  remain  sta 
tionary,  led  Colter  out  on  the  prairie  three  or  four  hundred 
yards,  and  released  him,  bidding  him  save  himself  if  he 
could.  At  that  instant  the  war  whoop  sounded  in  the  ears 
of  poor  Colter,  who,  urged  with  the  hope  of  preserving 
life,  ran  with  a  speed  at  which  he  was  himself  surprised. 

He  proceeded  towards  Jefferson's  Fork,  having  to  travel 
a  plain  six  miles  in  breadth,  abounding  with  the  prickly 
pear,  on  which  he  was  every  instant  treading  with  his  naked 
feet.  He  ran  nearly  half  way  across  the  plain  before  he 
ventured  to  look  over  his  shoulder,  when  he  perceived  that 
the  Indians  were  very  much  scattered,  and  that  he  had 
gained  ground  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  main 
body ;  but  one  Indian,  who  carried  a  spear,  was  much 
before  all  the  rest,  and  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  from 
him. 

A  faint  gleam  of  hope  now  cheered  the  heart  of  Colter ; 
he  derived  confidence  from  the  belief  that  escape  was  within 
the  bounds  of  possibility ;  but  that  confidence  was  nearly 
fatal  to  him,  for  he  exerted  himself  to  such  a  degree,  that 
the  blood  gushed  from  his  nostrils,  and  soon  almost  covered 
the  fore  part  of  his  body.  He  had  now  arrived  within  a 
mile  of  the  river,  when  he  distinctly  heard  the  appalling 
sound  of  footsteps  behind  him,  and  every  instant  expected 
to  feel  the  spear  of  his  pursuer. 

Again  he  turned  his  head,  and  saw  the  savage  not  twenty 
yards  from  him.  Determined,  if  possible,  to  avoid  the 
expected  blow,  he  suddenly  stopped,  turned  round,  and 
spread  out  his  arms.  The  Indian,  surprised  by  the  sudden 
ness  of  the  action,  and,  perhaps,  by  the  bloody  appearance 
of  Colter,  also  attempted  to  stop  ;  but,  exhausted  with  run 
ning,  he  fell  while  endeavouring  to  throw  his  spear,  which 
stuck  in  the  ground,  and  broke  in  his  hand.  Colter  instantly 
snatched  up  the  pointed  part,  with  which  he  pinned  him  to 
the  earth,  and  then  continued  his  flight. 


132  A    NARROW    ESCAPE. 

The  foremost  of  the  Indians,  on  arriving  at  the  place, 
stopped  till  others  came  up  to  join  him,  when  they  set  up  a 
hideous  yell.  Every  moment  of  this  time  was  improved 
by  Colter,  who,  although  fainting  and  exhausted,  succeeded 
in  gaining  the  skirting  of  the  cotton-wood  trees  on  the  bor 
der  of  the  Fork,  to  which  he  ran,  and  plunged  into  the 
river.  Fortunately  for  him,  a  little  below  this  place  there 
was  an  island,  against  the  upper  part  of  which  a  raft  of 
draft  timber  had  lodged.  He  dived  under  the  raft,  and 
after  several  efforts  got  his  head  above  water,  amongst  the 
trunks  of  trees,  covered  over  with  smaller  wood  to  the  depth 
of  several  feet. 

Scarcely  had  he  secured  himself,  when  the  Indians  arrived 
on  the  river,  screeching  andyellingin  a  most  frightful  manner. 
They  were  frequently  on  the  raft  during  the  day,  and  were 
seen  through  the  chinks  by  Colter,  who  was  congratulating 
himself  on  his  escape,  till  the  idea  arose  that  they  might  set 
the  raft  on  fire.  In  horrible  suspense,  he  remained  until 
night;  when,  hearing  no  more  of  the  Indians,  he  dived 
from  under  the  raft,  and  swam  down  the  river  to  a  consid 
erable  distance,  when  he  landed,  and  travelled  all  night. 

Although  happy  in  having  escaped  from  the  Indians,  hisr 
situation  was  still  dreadful.  He  was  completely  naked, 
under  a  burning  sun  ;  the  soles  of  his  feet  were  filled  with 
the  thorns  of  the  prickly  pear;  he  was  hungry,  and  had  no 
means  of  killing  game,  although  he  saw  abundance  around 
him  ;  and  he  was  at  a  great  distance  from  the  nearest  set 
tlement. 

Almost  any  man  but  an  American  hunter  would  have 
despaired  under  such  circumstances.  The  fortitude  of 
Colter,  however,  remained  unshaken.  After  seven  days' 
sore  travel,  during  which  he  had  nothing  but  roots  for  his 
sustenance,  he  at  length  arrived  in  safety  at  Lisa's  Fort,  on 
the  Bigthorn  branch  of  the  Roche  Jaime  river. 

During  the  walk  home  of  the  young  people,  an  animated 
discussion  arose  among  them  respecting  the  Indians.  Brian 
and  Basil  urged  many  things  against  them,  especially  their 


A    NARROW    ESCAPE. 


133 


cruelty ;  but  Austin,  who  seemed  to  see  every  thing  with 
an  Indian  eye,  upheld  them  through  thick  and  thin.  They 
had,  to  be  sure,  he  said,  some  bad  qualities,  which  he 
doubted  not  might  soon  be  corrected  ;  but  as  for  honesty, 
quickness  of  perception,  and  bravery,  he  would  match  them 
against  all  the  world. 


INDIAN  CHIEF. 


12 


INDIAN   HORSEMANSHIP. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Buffaloes— Bisons— A  grand  surround  of  buffaloes— A  buffalo  wal 
low — Bears — Adventure  with  a  grizzly  bear — Anecdote  of  a  com 
mon  bear—Wild  horses— Catching  horses  with  the  laso— Creasing 
horses— Cougers— Wolves— White,  black,  and  clouded,  wolves- 
Deer— Moose  deer— Elk— Common  deer— The  wapiti  deer— Black- 
tailed  deer — Cariboo — Mountain  sheep — Prairie  dogs — Musk  rats — 
Taking  musk  rats — Fearful  adventure  of  the  prairie  onjire. 

EMEMBER,  said  Austin,  as  he 
urged  his  brothers  to  quicken  their 
pace  on  their  way  to  the  cottage, 
"  we  have  hardly  heard  any  thing 
yet  about  buffaloes  and  grizzly  bears, 
and  other  animals  which  are  found 
in  the  woods  and  the  prairie.  Let  us 
make  haste,  that  we  may  hear  all  about  them." 

Brian  and  Basil,  being  almost  as  anxious  as  their 
brother*  to  hear  all  about  bears  and  buffaloes,  quickened 
their  pace  as  he  desired  them,  so  that  no  long  period  had 
passed,  before  the  hunter,  at  the  request  of  his  youthful 
visitors,  was  engaged  in  giving  them  the  desired  account. 

"  The  different  animals  and  birds,"  said  he,  "  that  inhabit 
134 


THE    BUFFALO    AND    BISON.  135 

different  countries,  for  the  most  part  roam  backwards  and 
forwards,  according  to  the  season.  Creatures  that  love  the 
cold  move  northerly  in  summer,  and  such  as  delight  in  a 
warmer  clime,  move  southerly  in  winter.  It  is,  however, 
principally  to  obtain  food  that  they  remove  from  one  place 
to  another.  I  must  here  explain  to  you,  that  though  I 
have,  in  common  with  most  others  who  talk  of  North 
America,  spoken  of  buffaloes,  the  animal  which  abounds  in 
the  prairie  is  not  the  buffalo,  but  the  bison. 

<ftustin.  But  if  they  are  bisons,  why  are  they  called 
buffaloes  ? 

Hunter.  That  is  a  question  that  I  hardly  know  how  to 
answer.  From  whatever  cause  it  may  have  arisen,  certain 
it  is,  that  the  name  of  buffalo  has  become  common ;  and, 
that  being  the  case,  it  is  used  in  conversation,  and  often^ 
times  in  books,  as  being  more  easily  understood. 

Brian.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  buffalo  and  a 
bison  ? 

Hunter.  A  buffalo  is  an  animal  that  abounds  in  Africa, 
resembling  an  ugly  cow,  with  a  body  long,  but  rather  low ; 
it  has  very  long  horns.  There  is  also  a  European  buffalo, 
or  bison,  here  is  a  picture  of  one  attacked  by  wolves. 
The  bison  stands  very  high  in  front,  has  a  hump  on 
the  back  part  of  the  neck  covered  with  long  hair,  short 
horns,  and  a  profusion  of  long  shaggy  hair  hanging  from 
its  head,  neck,  and  fore  legs. 

Austin.  A  bison  must  look  much  fiercer  than  a  buffalo. 

Hunter.  He  does,  and  from  the  circumstance  of  his  fore 
parts  standing  high,  while  he  carries  his  head  low,  he  al 
ways  appears  as  if  he  were  about  to  run  at  you.  Bisons 
abound  throughout  the  whole  of  North  America,  west  of 
the  Mississippi ;  but  the  reckless  way  in  which  they  are 
slaughtered,  and  the  spread  of  civilization,  are  likely,  in  a 
few  years,  greatly  to  diminish  their  numbers.  Indians 
suffer  much  from  hunger,  but  they  are  very  reckless  when 
buffaloes  are  plentiful.  On  one  occasion,  when  among  the 
Minatarees,  I  witnessed  a  grand  surround  of  buffaloes. 


136 


BUFFALO    HUNT. 


EUROPEAN    BUFFALO    ATTACKED    BY    WOLVES. 

This  was  effected  by  different  parties  taking  different  di 
rections,  and  then  gradually  approaching  each  other ;  the 
buffalo  herd  was  thus  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  and  the 
slaughter  was  terrible.  The  unerring  rifle,  the  sharp  spear, 
and  the  winged  arrow,  had  full  employ  ;  and  so  many 
buffaloes  were  slain,  that,  after  taking  their  tongues  and 
other  choice  parts  of  them  for  food,  hundreds  of  carcases 
were  left  for  the  prairie  wolves  to  devour.  Thus  it  is  that 
man,  whether  savage  or  civilized,  too  often  becomes  prod 
igal  of  the  abundance  he  enjoys,  and  knows  not  the  value 
of  what  he  possesses,  till  taught  it  by  that  want  into  which 
his  thoughtless  waste  has  plunged  him. 

Austin.  Ay,  they  will  soon  kill  all  the  buffaloes,  if  they 
go  on  in  that  manner. 

Hunter.  At  present,  they  are  to  be  seen  on  the  prairie 
in  droves  of  many  thousands  ;  the  woods,  also,  abound 


THE    GRIZZLY    BEAR.  137 


THE    AMERICAN     BISON. 


with  them ;  and  often,  in  the  heat  of  summer,  an  incal 
culable  number  of  heads  and  horns  are  visible  in  the  rivers, 
the  bodies  of  the  bisons  being  under  the  water. 

Brian.  What,  because  they  are  so  hot  ? 

Hunter.  Yes :  the  bison  suffers  very  much  from  heat. 
It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  bison  bull  lay  himself 
down  in  a  puddle  of  water,  and  turn  himself  round  and 
round  in  it,  till  he  has  half  covered  his  body  with  mud. 
The  puddle  hole  which  he  thus  makes  is  called  a  bison 
wallow,  or  more  commonly  a  buffalo  wallow.  The  puddle 
cools  him  while  he  is  in  it,  and  when  he  quits  it,  the  mud 
plastered  on  his  sides  defends  him  from  the  burning  heat 
of  the  sun. 

Basil.  What  a  figure  a  bison  bull  must  cut,  with  his 
shaggy  hair,  and  his  sides  plastered  all  over  with  mud ! 

Hunter.  Bears  are  often  most  formidable  foes  to  the 
hunter ;  but  there  is  this  striking  difference  between  the 
common  bear  and  the  grizzly  bear,  that  while  the  former 
eats  mostly  vegetables,  and  will  do  his  best  to  get  out  of 
your  way,  the  latter  eats  nothing  but  flesh,  and  is  almost 
sure  to  attack  you.  Hunters  and  Indians  make  a  rule  never 
to  fire  at  a  grizzly  bear,  unless  in  self-defence :  except  in 
cases  when  they  have  a  strong  party,  or  can  fire  from  a 
tree  ;  for,  when  he  is  wounded,  his  fury  knows  no  bounds. 

Jlustin.  How  can  you  escape  from  a  grizzly  bear,  if  he 
is  so  very  terrible  ? 

S  12* 


138    ADVENTURE    WITH    A    GRIZZLY    BEAR. 


THE  COMMON  BLACK  BEAR. 


Hunter.  The  common  bear,  such  as  is  represented  in  this 
picture,  can  climb  a  tree,  as  I  have  already  told  you ;  but 
the  grizzly  bear  is  no  climber.  If  you  have  time  to  get  up 
into  a  tree,  you  are  safe  :  if  not,  you  must  reserve  your  shot 
till  the  animal  is  near  you,  that  you  may  take  a  steady  aim. 
You  must  then  fight  it  out  in  the  best  way  you  can.  Grizzly 
bears  are  sometimes  of  a  very  large  size,  measuring  from 
nine  to  ten  feet  in  length.  It  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri 
that  I  was  once  chased  by  one  of  these  terrible  fellows,  and 
a  narrow  escape  I  had. 

Austin.  How  was  it?     Tell  us  all  about  it. 

Hunter.  I  had  just  fired  off  my  rifle  at  a  bird  which  I 
took  for  an  eagle,  little  thinking  how  soon  my  wasted  bullet, 
for  I  did  not  strike  the  bird,  would  be  wanted  in  defence  of 
my  life.  The  crack  of  my  piece  reverberated  among  the 
rocky  fragments,  and  blocks  of  pumice  stone,  that  lay  scat 
tered  on  the  broken  ground,  between  the  green-topped 
bluffs  that  rose  from  the  prairie ;  and  I  suppose  it  was  this 
that  brought  Sir  Bruin  upon  me.  He  came  on  with  huge 
strides,  and  I  had  nothing  but  a  hunting  knife  lo  use  in  rny 


THE   BEAR   AND   THE   COW.  139 

defence,  my  discharged  rifle  being  of  no  use.  There  was 
no  tree  near,  so,  throwing  down  my  piece,  I  drew  my  knife 
as  a  forlorn  hope  in  my  extremity. 

•flustin.  A  hunting  knife  against  a  grizzly  bear  ! 

Hunter.  When  the  huge  monster  was  within  a  few  yards 
cf  me,  to  my  amazement,  I  heard  the  report  of  two  rifles, 
and  in  the  same  instant  my  tremendous  foe  fell,  with  two 
bullets  in  his  head.  This  timely  assistance  was  rendered 
me  by  two  of  our  party,  who,  having  followed  my  track, 
were  near  me  when  I  thought  myself  alone. 

Austin.  Never  was  any  one  in  greater  danger. 

Hunter.  I  will  tell  you  an  anecdote  that  I  have  read  of 
a  common  bear.  A  boy,  about  eight  years  old,  was  sent 
by  his  mother  into  the  woods,  to  bring  home  the  old  cow. 
At  the  distance  of  somewhat  more  than  half  a  mile,  he 
found  her,  attended  by  some  young  cattle.  He  began  to 
drive  them  home  ;  but  he  had  not  proceeded  far  when  a 
bear  came  out  of  the  bushes,  and  seemed  disposed  to  make 
his  acquaintance. 

The  boy  did  not  like  his  company ;  so  he  jumped  upon 
the  old  cow's  back,  and  held  on  by  her  horns.  She  set  out 
at  full  speed,  and  the  bear  after  her.  The  young  cattle, 
lifting  their  tails  in  the  air,  brought  up  the  rear.  Thus  they 
proceeded,  the  young  ones  behind  frequently  coming  up  to 
the  bear,  and  giving  him  a  thrust  with  their  horns. 

This  compelled  him  to  turn  round,  and  thus  the  old  cow, 
with  her  brave  rider,  got  somewhat  in  advance.  The  bear 
then  galloped  on,  and  approaching  the  boy,  attempted  to 
seize  him ;  but  the  old  cow  cantered  along,  and  finally 
brought  the  boy  to  his  mother's  house  in  safety.  The  bear, 
thinking  he  should  not  be  welcome  there,  after  approaching 
the  house,  turned  about,  and  scampered  back  to  the  forest. 
Sir  Bruin  knew  when  he  was  well  off*;  a  whole  skin  is  the 
best  covering  a  bear  can  have ;  but,  if  he  ventures  among 
mankind,  he  is  likely  to  have  it  stripped  over  his  ears. 

JZustin.  Famous  !  famous  !  That  was  a  capital  old  cow, 
for  she  saved  the  boy's  life. 


140  CATCHING    WILD    HORSES. 

Basil.  But  the  young  cattle  helped  her,  for  they  pushed 
the  bear  with  their  horns. 

Brian.  Please  to  tell  us  about  wild  horses. 

Hunter.  The  hordes  or  bands  of  wild  horses  that  abound 
in  some  of  the  prairies,  are  not  considered  to  be  natives  of 
America,  but  the  offspring  of  Spanish  horses  brought  to 
Mexico  by  Europeans.  They  are  extremely  shy,  keen  in 
their  sight,  and  swift  of  foot,  so  that  to  come  up  with  them, 
except  by  surprise,  is  no  easy  thing.  I  have  seen  them  iu 
great  numbers  from  the  brow  of  a  bluif,  or  when  peeping 
at  them  cautiously  from  a  ravine. 

Austin.  What  kind  of  horses  are  they ;  and  of  what 
colour? 

Hunter.  Some  of  them  are  fine  animals,  but  in  general 
they  are  otherwise.  Stunted  and  coarse  in  appearance,  they 
are  of  various  colors — bay,  chestnut,  cream,  grey,  piebald, 
white,  and  black,  with  long  tails,  fetlocks,  top-knots,  and 
manes. 

Brian.  How  do  they  catch  them  ? 

Hunter.  In  different  ways.  Sometimes  a  well-mounted 
Indian,  armed  with  his  rifle,  follows  a  horde  of  horses, 
until  he  can  get  a  fair  shot  at  the  best  among  them.  He 
aims  at  the  top  of  the  neck,  and  if  he  succeeds  in  striking 
the  high  gristle  there,  it  stuns  the  animal  for  a  moment, 
when  he  falls  to  the  ground  without  being  injured.  This 
is  called  creasing  a  horse  ;  but  a  bad  marksman  would  kill, 
and  not  crease  the  noble  animal  he  seeks  to  subdue. 

Austin.  What  other  way  is  there  of  catching  wild 
horses  ?  for  that  seems  a  very  bad  one. 

Basil.  It  is  a  very  bad  way.  They  ought  not  to  shoot 
them. 

Hunter.  They  are  much  more  commonly  taken  with  the 
laso;  which  is  a  thong  at  least  a  dozen  yards  long,  ending 
in  a  noose.  This  the  Indians  throw,  at  full  gallop,  over  the 
head  of  the  flying  steed  they  wish  to  secure.  Rarely  do 
they  miss  their  aim.  When  a  horse  is  thus  caught,  the 
hunter  leaps  from  his  steed,  and  lets  out  the  laso  gradually, 


THE    COUGER.  i4l 

choking  his  captive  till  he  is  obliged  to  stop :  he  then  con 
trives  to  hopple  or  tie  his  fore  legs ;  to  fasten  the  laso  round 
his  lower  jaw ;  to  breathe  in  his  nostrils,  and  to  lead  him 
home. 

Austin.  Breathe  in  his  nostrils !  Why,  what  does  he  do 
that  for  ? 

Hunter.  Because  experience  has  taught  him,  that  it  does 
much  towards  rendering  his  captive  more  manageable.  It 
is  said,  that  if  an  Indian  breathes  freely  into  the  nostrils  of  a 
wild  young  buffalo  on  the  prairie,  the  creature  will  follow 
him  with  all  the  gentleness  and  docility  of  a  lamb. 

Brian.  Well !  that  does  appear  strange  ! 

Hunter.  There  is  one  animal,  which  the  Indians,  the 
hunters,  and  trappers  sometimes  meet  with,  that  I  have  not 
mentioned.  It  is  the  couger,  or  panther,  or  painter,  or 


THE    COUGER. 


American  lion ;  for  it  goes  by  all  these  names.  Now  and 
then,  it  is  to  be  seen  in  the  thick  forests  of  the  west ;  but, 
being  a  sad  coward,  it  is  not  so  much  dreaded  as  it  other 
wise  would  be. 

Brian.  I  should  not  much  like  to  meet  a  couger. 

Hunter.  The  common  wolf  of  America  is  as  big  as  a 
Newfoundland  dog,. and  a  sulky,  savage-looking  animal  he 
is.  So  long  as  he  can  feed  in  solitary  places  he  prefers  to 
do  so,  but,  when  hunger-pressed,  he  attacks  the  fold ;  after 
which  Mr.  Grizzly-skin  loses  no  time  in  getting  to  a  place 
of  shelter,  for  he  knows  that  should  he  outrun  the  staunch 
hounds  that  will  soon  be  on  his  track,  yet  will  a  rifle  ball 
outrun  him. 


142 


PRAIRIE    WOLF.— RED    DEER. 


THE    COMMON   WOLF. 

Brian.  Yes,  yes ;  Mr.  Grizzly-back  is  very  cunning. 

Hunter.  The  prairie  wolf  is  smaller  than  the  common 
wolf.  Prairie  wolves  hunt  after  deer,  which  they  generally 
overtake ;  or  k;eep  close  to  a  buffalo  herd,  feeding  on  such 
as  die,  or  on  those  who  are  badly  wounded  in  fighting  with 
one  another.  The  white,  black,  and  clouded  wolves  are  in 
the  northern  parts. 

Austin.  I  cannot  bear  those  wolves. 


THE    RED    DEER    OF    EUROPE. 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    DEER.  143 

Hunter.  There  are  many  kinds  of  deer.  Here  is  a  pic 
ture  of  the  common  red  deer  of  Europe.  I  told  you,  that 
sometimes  a  deer  hunt  took  place  on  a  large  scale,  by  en 
closing  a  circle,  and  driving  the  deer  into  it.  In  shooting 
antelopes,  the  hunter  has  only  to  stick  up  his  ramrod  in 
their  neighbourhood,  and  throw  over  it  his  handkerchief; 
while  he,  with  his  rifle  ready  loaded,  lies  on  the  grass  near 
at  hand.  The  antelopes  will  soon  approach  the  handker 
chief  to  see  what  it  is,  when  the  hunter  may  send  a  bullet 
through  two  or  three  of  them.  The  largest  deer  is  the 
moose  deer,  which  is  often  seen  seven  feet  high.  He  is  an 


THE    MOOSE    DEER. 


awkward,  overgrown-looking  creature,  with  broad  horns; 
but,  awkward  as  he  is,  I  question  if  any  of  you  could  out 
run  him.  Mountain  and  valley,  lake  and  river,  seem  alike 
to  him,  for  he  crosses  them  all.  In  the  snow,  to  be  sure, 
the  unwearied  and  persevering  hound  will  overtake  him ; 
but  let  him  beware  of  his  horns,  or  he  will  be  flying  head 
over  heels  in  the  air  in  a  twinkling.  The  moose  deer, 
however,  cannot  successfully  strive  with  the  hunter,  for  a 
bullet  from  his  rifle  overtakes  him,  and  brings  him  to  the 
ground. 

Austin.  Nothing  can  stand  against  man. 

Hunter.  And  yet  what  is  man  opposed  to  his  Maker? 
His  strength  is  perfect  weakness  !  In  a  moment,  in  the 


144  VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    DEER. 

twinkling  of  an  eye,  he   "  changes  his  countenance,  and 
sends  him  away."  Job  xiv.  20. 

Basil.  What  other  kinds  of  deer  do  Indians  catch ? 


THE    WAPITI    DEER. 


Hunter.  The  elk,  with  his  large  branching  horns,  who 
wouid  despise  a  palace  as  a  dwelling  place.  Nothing  less 
than  the  broad  sky  above  his  head,  and  the  ground  of  the 
boundless  forest  beneath  his  feet,  will  satisfy  him.  After 
the  elk,  come  the  Virginia,  or  common  deer,  the  wapiti 
deer,  the  black  tailed  deer,  and  the  cariboo.  All  these  are 
the  prey  of  the  hunter.  Their  savoury  flesh  supplies  him 
with  food,  and  their  soft  skins  are  articles  of  merchandise. 
On  the  rugged  edge  of  pumice  stone  rocks,  and  the  wild 
front  of  precipitous  clayey  cliffs,  may  often  be  seen  moun 
tain  sheep  skipping  from  one  ledge  to  another,  giving  life  to 
the  solitary  place,  and  an  added  interest  to  the  picturesque 
beauty  of  lonely  spots. 

Austin.  You  have  mentioned  all  the  animals  now,  I 
think,  that  the  hunter  chases ;  for  you  spoke  before  about 
beavers,  badgers,  foxes,  racoons,  squirrels,  and  some  others. 


PRAIRIE    FIRES.  145 

Basil.  You  have  never  told  us,  though,  how  they  catch 
the  muskrat.  I  should  like  to  know  that, 

Hunter.  Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you  how  they  take  the 
muskrat,  and  speak  a  word  about  the  prairie  dog.  Prairie 
dogs  are  a  sort  of  marmot,  but  their  bark  is  somewhat 
like  that  of  a  small  dog.  Rising  from  the  level  prairie, 
you  may  sometimes  see,  for  miles  together,  small  hillocks 
of  a  conelike  form,  thrown  up  by  the  prairie  dogs,  which 
burrow  some  eight  or  ten  feet  in  the  ground.  On  a  fine 
day,  myriads  of  these  dogs,  not  much  unlike  so  many  rats, 
run  about,  or  sit  barking  on  the  tops  of  their  hillocks.  The 
moment  any  one  approaches  them,  they  disappear,  taking 
shelter  in  their  burrows. 

Basil.  Oh,  the  cunning  little  rogues. 

Hunter.  The  muskrat  builds  his  burrow,  which  looks 
like  a  haystack  of  wild  rice  stalks ;  so  that,  while  he  has  a 
dry  lodging,  a  hole  at  the  bottom  enables  him,  when  he 
pleases,  to  pass  into  the  shallow  water  beneath  his  burrow 
or  lodge.  In  taking  a  muskrat,  a  person  strikes  the  top  of 
the  burrow,  and  out  scampers  the  tenant  within ;  but  no 
sooner  does  he  run  through  his  hole  into  the  shallow  water, 
than  he  is  instantly  caught  with  a  spear.  Myriads  of  these 
little  animals  are  taken  in  this  manner  for  their  fur. 

Brian.  They  must  be  a  good  deal  like  prairie  dogs, 
though  one  has  his  house  on  the  land,  and  the  other  in  the 
water. 

Hunter.  These  wide  prairies, on  which  roam  bisons,  and 
horses,  and  deer  innumerable ;  and  these  shallow  waters, 
where  muskrats  abound;  will  most  likely,  in  succeeding 
years,  assume  another  character.  White  men  will  possess 
them;  civilized  manners  and  customs  will  prevail,  and 
Christianity  spread  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  for  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  are  to  become 
the  kingdoms  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  Christ. 

Austin.  You  have  told  us  a  great  deal  indeed,  to-day, 
about  the  prairies. 

Hunter.  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  prairie  fires;  I 
T  13 


146  A    PRAIRIE    ON    FIRE. 

mean  the  burning  grass,  set  on  fire  by  accident,  or  purposely, 
for  the  double  advantage  of  obtaining  a  clearer  path  and 
an  abundant  crop  of  fresh  grass ;  but  I  must  relate  an  ad 
venture  of  my  own,  of  a  kind  not  likely  to  be  forgotten. 

Austin.  Now  for  a  flare  up  ! 

Hunter.  So  long  as  a  prairie  fire  is  confined  to  the  high 
grounds,  there  is  very  little  danger  from  it ;  for,  in  such 
situations,  the  grass  being  short,  the  fire  never  becomes 
large,  though  the  line  of  flame  is  a  long  one.  Birds  and 
beasts  retire  before  it  in  a  very  leisurely  manner ;  but  in 
places  where  the  grass  is  long,  it  is  very  different. 

Austin.  I  should  like  to  see  one  of  those  great,  high 
round  bluffs  on  fire.  There  must  be  a  fine  bonfire  then. 

Hunter.  There  you  are  mistaken,  for,  as  I  have  already 
told  you,  the  grass  is  short  on  the  bluffs.  To  be  sure,  the 
sight  of  a  bluff  on  fire,  on  a  dark  night,  is  very  singular ; 
for  as  you  can  only  see  the  curved  line  of  flame,  the  bluff 
being  hidden  by  the  darkness,  so  it  seems  as  though  the 
curved  lines  of  flame  were  up  in  the  air,  or  in  the  sky. 

Basil.  They  must  look  very  beautiful. 

Hunter.  They  do  :  but  when  a  fire  takes  place  in  a  low 
bottom  of  long  grass,  sedge,  and  tangled  dry  plants,  more 
than  six  feet  high  ;  and  when  a  rushing  wind  urges  on  the 
fiery  ruin,  flashing  like  the  lightning  and  roaring  like  the 
thunder ;  the  appearance  is  not  beautiful,  but  terrible.  I 
have  heard  the  shrill  war-whoop,  and  the  clash  of  contend 
ing  tomahawks  in  the  fight,  .when  no  quarter  has  been 
given.  I  have  witnessed  the  wild  burst,  where  Niagara,  a 
river  of  waters,  flings  itself  headlong  down  the  Horseshoe 
Fall ;  and  I  have  been  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  hurricane. 
But  none  of  these  are  half  so  terrible,  as  the  flaming  ocean 
of  a  long-grass  prairie  fire. 

Austin.  Oh  !  it  must  be  terrible. 

Hunter.  The  trapper  is  bold,  or  he  is  not  fit  for  nis  call 
ing  ;  the  hunter  is  brave,  or  he  could  never  wage  war  as  he 
does  with  danger ;  and  the  Indian  from  his  childhood  is 
familiar  with  peril :  yet  the  Indian,  the  hunter,  and  the 


A    PRAIRIE    ON    FIRE.  147 

trapper  tremble,  as  well  they  may,  at  a  prairie  meadow  are. 
But  I  must  relate  my  adventure. 

Basil.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  hear  it. 

•Austin.  Pooh  !  nonsense  !     It  will  never  hurt  you. 

Hunter.  A  party  of  five  of  us,  well  mounted,  and  ha\  ing 
with  us  our  rifles  and  lances,  were  making  the  best  of  our 
way  across  one  of  the  low  prairie  bottoms,  where  the  thick 
coarse  grass  and  shrubs,  even  as  we  sat  on  our  horses,  were 
often  as  high  as  our  heads  ;  when  we  noticed,  every  now 
and  then,  a  flight  of  prairie  hens,  or  grouse,  rapidly  winging 
their  way  by  us.  Two,  of  our  party  were  of  the  Blackfoot 
tribe ;  their  names  were  Ponokah  (elk)  and  Moeese  (wig 
wam).  These  Indians  had  struck  into  a  buffalo  trail,  and 
we  had  proceeded  for  a  couple  of  hours  as  fast  as  the 
matted  grass  and  wild  pea-vines  would  allow,  when  sud 
denly  the  wind  that  was  blowing  furiously  from  the  east 
became  northerly,  and  in  a  moment,  Moeese,  snuffing  the 
air,  uttered  the  words,- "  Pah  kapa,"  (bad  ;)  and  Ponokah, 
glancing  his  eyes  northward,  added,  "  Eehcooa  pah  kaps," 
(very  bad.) 

Austin.  I  guess  what  was  the  matter. 

Brian.  And  so  do  I. 

Hunter.  In  another  instant,  a  crash  was  heard,  and  Po 
nokah,  who  was  a  little  ahead,cried  out,  "  Eneuh !"  (buffalo !) 
when  three  bisons  came  dashing  furiously  along  another 
trail  towards  us.  No  sooner  did  they  set  eyes  on  us,  than 
they  abruptly  turned  southward.  By  this  time,  we  all  un 
derstood  that,  to  the  north,  the  prairie  was  on  fire ;  for  the 
air  smelt  strong.  Deer,  and  bisons,  and  other  animals,' 
sprang  forward  in  different  directions  from  the  prairie,  and 
a  smoke,  not  very  distant,  like  a  cloud,  was  visible. 

Austin.  I  hope  you  set  off"  at  full  gallop. 

Hunter.  We  were  quite  disposed  to  urge  our  horses  on 
ward ;  but  the  trail  took  a  turn  towards  the  burning  prairie 
and  we  were  obliged  to  force  our  way  into  another,  in 
doing  which  my  horse  got  his  feet  entangled,  and  he  fell, 
pitching  me  over  his  head  some  yards  before  him.     I  was 


148  A    PRAIRIE    ON     FIRE. 

not  hurt  by  the  fall,  for  the  thick  herbage  protected  me ; 
but  the  worst  of  it  was,  that  my  rifle,  which  had  been  care 
lessly  slung,  fell  from  my  shoulder  among  the  long  grass, 
and  being  somewhat  confused  by  my  -fall,  I  could  not 
find  it. 

Brian.  You  ought  not  to  have  stopped  a  moment. 

Hunter.  Perhaps  not ;  but,  to  a  hunter,  a  rifle  is  no  tri 
fling  loss,  and  I  could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  lose  mine. 
Time  was  precious,  for  the  smoke  rapidly  increased ;  and 
both  Ponokah  and  Moeese,  who  knew  more  about  burning 
prairies  than  I  did,  and  were  therefore  more  alive  to  our 
danger,  became  very  impatient.  By  the  time  my  rifle  was 
found,  and  we  were  ready  to  proceed,  the  fire  had  gained 
upon  us  in  a  crescent  form,  so  that  before  and  behind  we 
were  hemmed  in.  "  The  only  point  clear  of  the  smoke  was 
to  the  south ;  but  no  trail  ran  that  way,  and  we  feared  that, 
in  forcing  a  road,  another  accident  might  occur  like  that 
which  had  befallen  us. 

Austin.  I  cannot  think  what  you  could  do  in  such  a 
situation. 

Hunter.  Our  disaster  had  come  upon  us  so  unexpected 
ly,  and  the  high  wind  had  so  hurried  on  the  flaming  ruin, 
that  there  seemed  to  be  no  time  for  a  moment's  thought. 
Driven  by  necessity,  we  plunged  into  the  thick  grass  to  the 
south ;  but  our  progress  was  not  equal  to  that  of  the  fire, 
which  was  now  fast  approaching,  blackening  the  air  with 
smoke,  and  roaring  every  moment  louder  and  louder.  Our 
destruction  seemed  almost  certain ;  when  Ponokah,  judging,  I 
suppose,  by  the*comparative  thinness  of  the  smoke  eastward, 
that  we  were  not  far  from  the  boundary  of  the  prairie  bottom, 
dashed  boldly  along  a  trail  in  that  direction,  in  the  face  of  the 
fire,  crying  out  to  us  to  follow.  With  the  daring  of  men  in 
extremity,  we  put  our  horses  to  their  speed,  broke  through 
the  smoke,  fire,  grass,  and  flame,  and  found  ourselves  almost 
instantly,  on  a  patch  of  ground  over  which  the  fire  had 
passed ;  but,  as  the  grass  had  evidently  been  scanty,  we 
were  free  from  danger.  From  a  neighbouring  bluff,  which 


A     PRAIRIE    ON    FIRE.  149 

the  smoke  had  before  hidden  from  our  view,  we  saw  the 
progress  of  the  flame — a  spectacle  that  filled  me  with 
amazement.  The  danger  we  had  escaped  seemed  increased 
by  the  sight  of  the  fearful  conflagration,  and  I  know  not 
whether  terror,  amazement,  or  thankfulness  most  occupied 
my  mind. 

Austin.  That  was,  indeed,  a  narrow  escape. 

Hunter.  As  we  stood  on  the  blurT,  dismounted,  to  gaze  on 
the  flying  flames — which  appeared  in  the  distance  like  a  huge 
fiery  snake  of  some  miles  in  length,  writhing  in  torture — my 
wonder  increased.  The  spectacle  was  fearful  and  sublime, 
and  the  conflagration  nearest  to  us  resembled  the  breakers  of 
the  deep  that  dash  on  a  rocky  shore,  only  formed  of  fire, 
roaring  and  destroying,  preceded  by  thick  clouds, of  smoke. 
Before  then,  I  had  been  accustomed  to  sights  and  scenes  of 
peril,  and  had  witnessed  the  burning  of  short  grass  to  some 
extent ;  but  this  was  the  first  time  I  had  been  in  such  fearful 
danger — the  first  time  I  felt  the  awfulness  of  such  a  situa 
tion — the  first  time  that  I  had  really  seen  the  prairie  on  fire. 

Brian.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  is  like  a  burn 
ing  prairie,  unless  it  be  a  burning  mountain. 

Hunter.  A  burning  prairie,  when  we  are  near  it,  is  a 
vast  and  overwhelming  spectacle ;  but  every  rising  and 
setting  sun  exhibits  Almighty  wisdom,  power,  and  good 
ness,  on  a  scale  infinitely  beyond  that  of  a  hundred  burning 
prairies.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  accustom  ourselves  to  re 
gard  the  works  of  creation  around  us  with  that  attention 
and  wonder  they  are  calculated  to  inspire,  and  especially  to 
ponder  on  the  manifestation  of  God's  grace  set  forth  in  his 
holy  word.  When  burning  prairies  and  burning  mountains 
shall  be  all  extinguished ;  when  rising  and  setting  suns  and 
all  earthly  glory  shall  be  unknown  ;  then  shall  the  follow 
ers  of  the  Redeemer  gaze  on  the  brighter  glories  of  heaven, 
and  dwell  forever  with  their  Leader  and  their  Lord. 


13* 


BUFFALO    DANCE. 

CHAPTER  XL 

Games — Ball  play  among  the  Choctaws — Ball  play  by  the  women  of 
the  Prairie  du  Chien — Horsemanship — Foot  races — Canoe  races — 
Wrestling — The  game  of  tchung-kee  among  the  Mandans — Arch 
ery — The  game  of  the  arrow — Swimming — Mode  of  swimming 
customary  among  the  Indians — Prank  of  the  Minataree  children 
on  the  Knife  rivei — Buffalo  dance — The  Poor  Indian  women. 


PON  their  return   home, 
buffaloes,       bears,      wild 
horses,  wolves,  deer,  prai 
rie    dogs,  and    muskrats, 
were  a  fruitful  source  of  conversation 
to  the  young  people  in  their  leisure 
hours,   until    such    time    as     they 
could   again   visit  their   interesting 
friend  at  the  cottage.   Various  plans 
were  formed  to  attack  grizzly  bears,  to  catch  wild  horses, 
and  to  scare  away  half  famished  wolves ;  in  all  of  which, 
Jowler,  notwithstanding  his  bad  behaviour  at  the  buffalo 
150  °^~ 


BEAR    HUNT.  151 

hunt,  was  expected  to  act  a  distinguished  part.  Black  Tom 
was  scarcely  considered  worth  thinking  about,  he  being  too 
wild  by  half  for  a  wild  horse,  and  too  faint-hearted  for  a 
grizzly  bear.  At  one  time,  it  was  so  far  determined  for 
him  to  play  the  part  of  a  prairie  dog,  that  Austin  set  about 
digging  a  hole  for  him :  before  it  was  finished,  however, 
the  plan  was  abandoned ;  Brian  and  Basil  both  feeling  pos 
itive  that,  let  Austin  dig  a  hole  as  deep  as  he  would,  Black 
Tom  would  never  be  persuaded  to  run  into  it. 

After  much  deliberation,  catching  wild  horses  being  given 
up — on  the  score  that  Black  Tom  would  run  away  too 
fast,  and  Jowler  would  not  run  away  at  all — a  bear  hunt 
was  resolved  on,  having,  as  Brian  observed,  two  especial 
advantages  :  the  first,  that  all  of  them  could  enjoy  the  sport 
at  once  ;  and  the  second,  that  Jowler  would  be  sure  to 
attack  them  all,  just  like  a  grizzly  bear. 

No  time  was  lost  in  preparing  their  long  spears,  and  in 
dressing  themselves  as  much  like  renowned  chiefs  as  their 
knowledge  and  resources  would  allow.  And,  in  order  that 
Jowler  might  the  more  closely  resemble  a  grizzly  bear,  a 
white  pinafore  was  spread  over  his  broad  back,  and  lied 
round  his  neck.  The  lawn  was,  as  before,  the  scene  of 
their  high  exploits,  the  prairie  on  which  the  fearful  monster 
was  to  be  overcome  ;  and,  to  the  credit  of  their  courage  be 
it  spoken,  neither  Austin,  Brian,  nor  Basil,  manifested  the 
slightest  token  of  fear. 

Jowler  was  led  by  them  among  the  bushes  of  the  shrub 
bery,  that  he  might  burst  out  upon  them  all  at  once ;  and 
this  part  of  the  arrangement  answered  excellently  well,  only 
that  Jowler  arrived  on  the  prairie  first  instead  of  last ;  add 
to  which,  the  bushes  having  so  far  despoiled  him  of  his 
grizzly  hide,  the  white  pianfore,  as  to  have  pulled  it  off  his 
back,  he  set  to  work  mouthing  and  tearing  at  it,  to  get  it 
from  his  neck.  At  last,  in  spite  of  a  few  untoward  and  un- 
bearlike  actions  on  the  part  of  Jowler,  the  attack  took  place. 
With  undaunted  resolution,  Austin  sustained  Jowler's  most 
furious  charges;  Brian  scarcely  manifested  less  bravery; 


152         BALL    PLAY    OF    THE    CHOCTAWS. 

and  little  Basil,  though  he  had  broken  his  lance,  and  twice 
fallen  to  the  earth,  made  a  desperate  and  successful  attack 
on  his  fearful  antagonist,  and  caught  him  fast  by  the  tail. 
It  was  on  the  whole  a  capital  adventure ;  for  though  they 
could  not  with  truth  say  that  they  had  killed  the  bear, 
neither  could  th-j  bear  say  that  he  had  killed  them. 

The  bear  hunt  being  at.. an  end,  they  set  off  for  the  cot 
tage  ;  for  the  hunter  had  promised  to  describe  to  them  some 
of  the  games  of  the  Indian  tribes.  He  was  soon  engaged 
in  giving  them  an  account  of  the  ball  play  of  the  Choctaws. 
"  The  Choctaws,"  said  he,  "are  perhaps,  about  fifteen  thou 
sand  in  number ;  they  were  removed  from  the  northern 
parts  of  Alabama,  and  from  the  Mississippi,  and  are  now 
south  of  the  Arkansas.  At  the  Choctaw  ball  play  thou 
sands  of  spectators  attend,  and  sometimes  a  thousand  young 
men  are  engaged  in  the  game/'  4 

Austin.  A  thousand  men  playing  at  ball!   What  a  sight! 

Hunter.  The  game  is  played  in  the  open  prairie,  and  the 
players  have  no  clothes  on  but  their  breech-clothes,  a  beau 
tiful  belt  formed  of  beads,  a  mane  of  dyed  horse  hair  of 
different  colours,  and  a  tail  sticking  out  behind  like  the  tail 
of  a  horse ;  this  last  is  either  formed  of  white  horse  hair  or 
of  quills. 

Brian.  And  how  do  they  play  ? 

Hunter.  Every  man  has  two  sticks,  with  a  kind  of  hoop 
at  the  end,  webbed  across,  and  with  these  they  catch  and 
strike  the  ball.  The  goal  on  each  side,  consisting  of  two 
upright  posts  arid  a  pole  across  the  top,  is  set  up  twenty-five 
feet  high ;  these  goals  are  from  forty  to  fifty  rods  apart. 
Every  time  either  party  can  strike  the  ball  through  their 
goal,  one  is  reckoned,  and  a  hundred  is  the  game. 

Basil.  What  a  scuffle  there  must  be  among  so  many  of 
them ! 

Hunter.  When  every  thing  is  ready  for  the  game  to 
begin,  a  gun  is  fired ;  and  some  old  men,  who  are  to  be  the 
judges,  fling  up  the  ball  in  the  middle,  halfway  between  the 
two  goals. 


INDIAN    HORSEMANSHIP.  153 

Brian.  Now  for  the  struggle. 

Hunter.  One  party  being  painted  white,  every  man 
knows  his  opponent.  No  sooner  is  the  ball  in  the  air,  than 
a  rush  takes  place.  Every  one  with  his  webbed  stick  raised 
above  his  head;  no  one  is  allowed  to  strike  or  to  touch  the 
ball  with  his  hands.  They  cry  out  aloud  at  the  very  top 
of  their  voices,  rush  on,  leap  up  te  strike  the  ball,  and  do  all 
they  can  to  help  their  own  side  and  hinder  their  opponents. 
They  leap  over  each  other,  dart  between  their  rivals'  legs, 
trip  them  up,  throw  them  down,  grapple  with  two  or  three 
at  a  time,  and  often  fall  to  fisty  cuffs  in  right  earnest.  There 
they  are,  in  the  midst  of  clouds  of  dust,  running,  striking, 
and  struggling  with  all  their  might ;  so  that,  what  with  the 
rattle  of  the  sticks,  the  cries,  the  wrestling,  the  bloody  noses, 
the  bruised  shins,  the  dust,  uproar,  and  confusion,  such  a 
scene  of  excitement  is  hardly  to  be  equalled  by  any  other 
game  in  the  world. 

Brian.  How  long  does  the  game  last  ? 

Hunter.  It  begins  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  sometimes  is  scarcely  finished  by  sunset.  A 
minute's  rest  is  allowed  every  time  the  ball  is  urged  beyond 
the  goal,  and  then  the  game  goes  on  again  till  it  is  finished. 
There,  is  another  ball  play  somewhat  resembling  this,  which 
is  played  by  the  women  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien,  while  the 
men  watch  the  progress  of  the  game,  or  lounge  on  the 
ground,  laughing  at  them. 

Austin.  Do  they  ever  run  races  ? 

Hunter.  Yes,  and  very  expert  they  are ;  "many  of  the 
tribes  are  extravagantly  fond  of  horses.  When  you  see  a 
Red  Indian,  with  his  shield  and  quiver,  his  ornamented 
shirt,  leggins,  and  mocassins ;  his  long  hair  flowing  behind 
him,  or  his  head-dress  of  the  war-eagle  falling  gracefully 
nearly  to  his  heels ;  his  lance  in  his  hand ;  and  his  dress 
ornamented  with  ermine,  shells,  porcupine  quills,  and  a 
profusion  of  scalp  locks.  When  you  see  him  thus  standing 
on  the  ground,  you  see  him  out  of  character.  He  should 
spring  on  a  horse  wild  as  the  winds  j  and  then,  as  he 
U 


154  DESCRIPTION    OF    A    CHIEF. 

orandishes  his  lance,  with  his  pendant  plumes,  and  hair  and 
scalp-locks  waving  in  the  breeze,  you  see  him  in  his  proper 
element.  Horse  racing  among  the  Indians  is  an  exciting 
scene.  The  cruel  custom,  of  urging  useful  and  noble  ani 
mals  beyond  their  strength,  is  much  the  same  in  savage  as 
in  civilized  life  ;  but  the  scene  is  oftentimes  more  wild, 
strange,  and  picturesque  than  you  can  imagine. 

•Austin.  Ay,  I  remember  that  the  Camanchees  are  capital 
riders.  I  was  a  Camanchee  in  our  buffalo  hunt.  Brian, 
you  have  not  forgotten  that  ? 

Brian.  But  you  had  no  horse  to  ride.  I  was  a  Sioux  ; 
and  the  Sioux  are  capital  riders  too. 

Basil.  And  so  are  the  Pawnees.  I  was  a  Pawnee  in 
the  buffalo  hunt. 

Hunter.  It  was  told  me  that  the  Camanchees — and,  in 
deed,  some  of  the  Pawnees  also — were  able,  while  riding  a 
horse  at  full  gallop,  to  lie  along  on  one  side  of  him,  with  an 
arm  in  a  sling  from  the  horse's  neck,  and  one  heel  over  the 
horse's  back ;  and  that,  while  the  body  was  thus  screened 
from  an  enemy,  they  could  use  their  lances  with  effect,  and 
throw  their  arrows  with  deadly  aim.  The  Camanchees  are 
so  much  on  their  horses,  that  they  never  seem  so  much  at 
their  ease  as  when  they  are  flying  across  the  prairie  on 
horseback. 

•ftustin.  It  would  be  worth  going  to  the  prairies,  if  it 
were  only  to  see  the  Camanchees  ride. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  read  to  you  Mr.  Catlin's  own  de 
scription  which  accompanies  in  his  work  this  fine  picture  : 

"  No  part  of  the  human  race  can  present  a  more  pic 
turesque  and  thrilling  appearance  on  horseback  than  a  party 
of  Crows,  rigged  out  in  all  their  plumes  and  trappings — 
galloping  about  and  yelping,  in  what  they  call  a  war- 
parade,  i.  e.  in  a  sort  of  tournament  or  sham  fight,  passing 
rapidly  through  the  evolutions  of  battle,  and  vaunting  forth 
the  wonderful  character  of  their  military  exploits.  This  is 
an  amusement,  of  which  they  are  excessively  fond;  and 


CHIEF   OF   THE   CROWS. 


155 


DESCRIPTION    OF    A    CHIEF.  157 

great  preparations  are  invariably  made  for  these  occasional 
shows. 

"  No  tribe  of  Indians  on  the  Continent  is  better  able  to 
produce  a  pleasing  and  thrilling  effect  in  these  scenes,  nor 
any  more  vain,  and  consequently,  better  prepared  to  draw 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  from  them,  than  the  Crows.  They 
may  be  justly  said  to  be  the  most  beautifully  clad  of  all  the 
Indians  in  these  regions,  and  bringing  from  the  base  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  a  fine  and  spirited  breed  of  wild  horses, 
have  been  able  to  create  a  great  sensation  among  the  Mina- 
tarees,  who  have  been  paying  them  all  attentions  and  all 
honours  for  some  days  past.  From  among  these  showy 
fellows  who  have  been  entertaining  us  and  pleasing  them 
selves  with  their  extraordinary  feats  of  horsemanship,  I 
have  selected  one  of  the  most  conspicuous,  and  transferred 
him  and  his  horse,  with  arms  and  trappings  as  faithfully  as 
I  could  to  the  canvass,  for  the  information  of  the  world, 
who  will  learn  vastly  more  from  the  picture  than  they  could 
from  oral  or  written  delineations. 

"  I  have  painted  him  as  he  sat  for  me,  balanced  on  his 
leaping  wild  horse,  with  his  shield  and  quiver  slung  on  his 
back,  and  his  long  lance  decorated  with  the  eagle's  quills, 
trailed  in  his  right  hand.  His  shirt,  and  his  leggings,  and 
moccasins,  were  of  the  mountain  goats  skins,  beautifully 
dressed ;  and  their  seams  every  where  fringed  with  a  pro 
fusion  of  scalp-locks,  taken  from  the  heads  of  his  enemies, 
slain  in  battle.  His  long  hair,  which  reached  almost  to.  the 
ground  while  he  was  standing  on  his  feet,  was  now  lifted 
in  the  air,  and  floating  in  black  waves  over  the  hips  of  his 
leaping  charger.  On  his  head,  and  over  his  shining  black 
locks,  he  wore  a  magnificent  crest  or  head-dress,  made  of 
the  quills  of  the  war-eagle  and  ermine  skins ;  and  on  his 
horse's  head  also,  was  another  of  equal  beauty,  and  pre 
cisely  the  same  pattern  and  material.  A'dded  to  these  or 
naments,  there  were  yet  many  others  which  contributed  to 
his  picturesque  appearance,  and  among  them  a  beautiful 
netting  of  various  colours,  that  completely  covered  and 

14 


158  INDIAN    GAMES. 

almost  obscured  the  horse's  head  and  neck,  and  extended 
over  its  back  and  its  hips,  terminating  in  a  most  extrava 
gant  and  magnificent  crupper,  embossed  with  rows  of  beau 
tiful  shells  and  porcupine  quills  of  various  colours. 

"With  all  these  picturesque  ornaments  and  trappings 
upon  and  about  him ;  with  a  noble  figure,  and  the  bold 
stamp  of  a  wild  gentleman  on  his  face,  added  to  the  rage 
and  spirit  of  his  wild  horse,  in  time  with  whose  leaps  he 
issued  his  startling  (though  smothered)  yelps,  as  he  grace 
fully  leaned  to  and  fro,  leaving  his  plumes  and  his  plumage, 
his  long  locks  and  his  fringes,  to  float  in  the  wind,  he  gal 
loped  about,  and  felt  exceeding  pleasure  in  displaying  the 
extraordinary  skill  which  a  lifetime  of  practice  and  experi 
ment  had  furnished  him  in  the  beautiful  art  of  riding  and 
managing  his  horse,  as  well  as  in  displaying  to  advantage 
his  weapons  and  ornaments  of  dress,  by  giving  them  the 
grace  of  motion,  as  they  were  brandished  in  the  air  and 
floating  in  the  wind."  Besides  horse  races,  the  Indians 
have  foot  races,  and  canoe  races,  arid  wrestling.  Among 
the  Mandans,  the  game  of  tchung-kee  was  very  popular^ 
quite  .as  much  so  as  cricket  is  on  fine  summer  days  in 
England. 

Austin.  Tchung-kee !  What  a  name  that  is  for  a  pastime ! 
I  wish  they  would  have  more  common  names. 

Brian.  Oh,  the  name  of  tchung-kee  is  nothing  to  what 
you  will  have  to  learn,  Austin.  Do  you  remember  Duhk- 
pits-o-ho-shee,  "the  red  bear;"  arid  Mah-to-rah-rish-nee- 
eeh-ee-rah,  or  something  like  it,  "  the  grizzly  bear  that  runs 
without  regard  ?" 

Austin.  Yes ;  those  names  are  much  harder.  How  do 
the  Indians  play  at  tchon-tee,  or  thung-kee,  or  whatever 
it  is? 

Hunter.  The  game  is  played  by  one  rolling  a  stone  ring 
along,  and  then  running  after  it,  and  sliding  his  tchung-kee 
for  it  to  fall  upon. 

Basil.  But  what  is  a  tchung-kee,  for  I  cannot  think  ? 

Hunter.  A  tchung-kee  is  a  stick ;  it  may  be,  perhaps,  six 


ARCHERY.  159 

or  seven  feet  long,  on  which  are  fastened  bits  of  leather ; 
and  he  who  slides  his  tchung-kee  along  the  ground,  tries  so 
to  place  it,  that  the  ring,  when  it  stops,  may  fall  with  one 
of  the  bits  of  leather  through  it.  Perhaps,  you  might  not 
find  much  amusement  in  the  game,  but  the  Mandans  used 
to  practise  it  continually* 

Brian.  I  think  we  might  soon  make  some  tchung-kees, 
and  bowl  the  ring  across  the  lawn,  Austin. 

Hunter.  That  would  never  do  ;  the  game  is  played  on  a 
hard  clayey  ground ;  for  neither  the  ring  nor  the  tchung-kee 
would  run  far  enough  along  the  grass. 

Brian.  Then  it  must  be  on  the  broad  gravel  walk ;  that 
will  do  capitally.  » 

Hunter.  The  Indians  are  very  fond  of  archery,  in  which, 
using  their  bows  and  arrows  so  much  as  they  do,  it  is  no 
wonder  they  are  very  clever.  The  game  of  the  arrow  is  a 
very  favourite  amusement  with  them. 

Basil.  That  game  has  a  much  easier  name  than  the 
tchung-kee.  How  is  it  played  ? 

Hunter.  It  is  played  on  the  open  prairie,  where  the  best 
bowmen  assemble,  to  strive  one  with  another.  There  is  no 
target  set  up  to  shoot  at,  as  there  is  in  English  archery  ;  but 
every  archer  sends  his  first  arrow  as  high  as .  he  can  into 
the  air. 

Jlustin.  Ay,  I  see  !  He  who  shoots  the  highest  in  the  air 
is  the  winner. 

Hunter.  Not  exactly  so.  It  is  not  he  who  shoots  highest, 
that  is  the  victor ;  but  he  who  can  get  the  greatest  number 
of  arrows  into  the  air  at  the  same  time.  Picture  to  youj- 
selves  a  hundred  well  made,  active  young  men,  on  the  open 
prairie,  each  carrying  a  bow,  with  eight  or  ten  arrows,  in 
his  left  hand.  He  sends  an  arrow  into  the  air  with  all  his 
strength,  and  then,  instantly,  with  a  rapidity  that  is  truly 
surprising,  shoots  arrow  after  arrow  upwards,  so  that,  before 
the  first  arrow  has  reached  the  ground,  half  a  dozen  others 
have  mounted  into  the  air.  Often  have  I  seen  seven  or 
eight  shafts  from  the  same  bow  in  the  air  at  once. 


160  EXPERTNESS    IN    SWIMMING. 

•Austin.  Brian,  we  will  try  what  we  can  do  to-morrow  , 
but  we  shall  never  have  so  many  as  seven  or  eight  up  at 
once. 

Hunter.  The  Indians  are  famous  swimmers,  and,  indeed, 
if  they  were  not,  it  would  often  go  hard  with  them.  They 
are  taught  when  very  young  to  make  their  way  through 
the  water,  arid  though  they  do  it  usually  in  a  mariner  differ 
ent  from  that  adopted  by  white  men,  I  hardly  think  many 
white  men  would  equal  them,  either  as  to  their  speed,  or 
the  length  of  time  they  will  continue  in  the  water. 

Austin.  But  how  do  they  swim,  if  their  way  is  different 
to  ours?  lean  swim  a  little,  and  I  should  like  to  learn 
their  way,  if  it  is  the  best. 

Hunter.  I  am  not  quite  prepared  to  say  that ;  for,  though 
red  men  are  more  expert  swimmers  than  white  men,  that 
may  be  owing  to  their  being  more  frequently  in  the  water. 
They  fish  a  great  deal  in  the  lakes  ;  and  they  have  often  to 
cross  brooks  and  rivers  in  too  much  haste  to  allow  them  to 
get  into  a  canoe.  A  squaw  thinks  but  very  little  of  plung 
ing  into  a  rolling  river  with  a  child  on  her  back ;  for  the 
women  swim  nearly,  or  altogether,  as  well  as  the  men. 

Austin.  But  you  did  not  tell  us  wherein  their  way  of 
swimming  is  different  from  ours. 

Hunter.  Whites  swim  by  striking  out  their  legs  and  both 
arms  at  the  same  time,  keeping  their  breasts  straight  against 
the  water  ;  but  the  Indian  strikes  out  with  one  arm  only, 
turning  himself  on  his  side  every  stroke,  first  on  one  side 
and  then  oil  the  other,  so  that,  instead  of  his  broad  chest 
breasting  the  water  in  front,  he  cuts  through  it  sideways, 
finding  less  resistance  in  that  way  than  the  other.  Much 
may  be  said  in  favour  of  both  these  modes.  I  always 
considered  myself  to  be  a  good  swimmer,  but  I  was  no 
match  for  the  Red  Indians.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  a  prank 
that  was  once  played  me  on  the  Knife  River,  by  some  of  the 
Minatarees;  it  convinced  me  of  their  adroitness  in  the 
water. 


INDIAN    DANCES.  161 

Basil.  What  was  it  ?  Did  they  dip  your  head  under  the 
water  ? 

Hunter.  No  ;  but  you  shall  hear.  I  was  crossing  the 
river  in  a  bull  boat,  which  is  nothing  more  than  a  tub,  made 
of  buffalos'  skin,  stretched  on  a  framework  of  willow 
.Doughs.  The  tub  was  just  big  enough  to  hold  me,  and  the 
few  things  which  I  had  with  me  ;  when  suddenly  a  group 
of  young  swimmers,  most  of  them  mere  children,  surrounded 
me,  and  began  playfully  to  turn  my  tub  round  and  round 
in  the  stream.  Not  being  prepared  to  swim,  on  account  of 
my  dress,  I  began  to  manifest  some  fear  lest  my  poor  tub 
should  be  overturned ;  but  the  more  fearful  I  was,  the 
better  pleased  were  my  mirthful  tormentors. 

Austin.  Ah!  ah  !  ah  !  1  can  see  it  spinning  round  like  a 
peg  top,  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 

Brian.  And  did  they  upset  the  tub  ? 

Hunter.  No.  After  amusing  themselves  for  some  time 
at  my  expense,  now  and  then  diving  under  the  tub,  and 
then  pulling  down  the  edge  of  it  level  with  the  water,  on 
receiving  a  few  beads,  or  other  trifles  which  I  happened  to 
have  with  me,  they  drew  me  and  my  bull  boat  to  the  shore 
in  safety.  They  were  beautiful  swimmers,  and,  as  I  told 
you,  not  soon  shall  I  forget  them.  The  dances  among  the 
Indians  are  very  numerous ;  some  of  them  are  lively 
enough,  while  others  are  very  grave  ;  and,  then,  most  of 
the  tribes  are  fond  of  relating  adventures. 

Basil.  Please  to  tell  us  the  names  of  all  the  dances. 

Hunter.  That  would  not  be  a  very  easy  undertaking. 
Let  me  see ;  there  are  the  buffalo  dance,  the  bear  dance, 
the  dog  dance,  and  the  eagle  dance.  And  then  there  are 
the  ball  play  dance,  the  green  corn  dance,  the  beggars'  dance, 
the  slave  dance,  the  snow-shoe  dance,  and  the  straw  dance  ; 
and,  besides  these,  there  are  the  discovery  dance,  the  brave 
dance,  the  war  dance,  the  scalp  dance,  the  pipe  of  peace 
dance,  and  many  others  that  I  do  not  at  this  moment 
remember. 

Brian*  You  must  please  to  tell  us  about  them  all. 
V  14* 


162  THE    BUFFALO    DANCE. 

Austin.  But  not  all  at  once,  or  else  we  shall  have  too 
short  an  account.  Suppose  you  tell  us  of  two  or  three  of 
them  now. 

Hunter.  To  describe  every  dance  at  length  would  be 
tiresome,  as  many  of  them  have  the  same  character.  It 
will  be  better  to  confine  ourselves  to  a  few  of  the  principal 
dances.  I  have  known  a  buffalo  dance  continue  for  a  fort 
night  or  longer,  day  and  night,  without  intermission.  When 
I  was  among  the  Mandans,  every  "Indian  had  a  buffalo 
mask  ready  to  put  on  whenever  he  required  it.  It  was 
composed  of  the  skin  of  a  buffalo's  head,  with  the  horns 
to  it ;  a  long  thin  strip  of  the  buffalo's  hide,  with  the  tail  at 
the  end  of  it,  hung  down  from  the  back  of  the  mask. 

Austin.  What  figures  they  would  look  with  their  masks 
on !  Did  you  say  that  they  kept  up  the  dance  day  and 
night  ? 

Hunter.  Yes.  The  Mandans  were  strong  in  their  vil 
lage,  but  comparatively  weak  whenever  they  left  it,  for 
then  they  were  soon  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their  powerful 
enemies.  This  being  the  case,  when  the  buffaloes  of  the 
prairie  wandered  far  away  from  them,  they  were  at  times 
half  starved.  The  buffalo  dance  was  to  make  buffaloes 
come  back  again  to  the  prairies  near  them. 

Brian.  But  how  could  that  bring  them  back  again  ? 

Hunter.  The  buffalo  dance  was  a  kind  of  homage  paid 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  that  he  might  take  pity  on  them,  and 
send  them  supplies.  The  dancers  assembled  in  the  middle 
of  the  village,  each  wearing  his  mask,  with  its  horns  and  long 
tail,  and  carrying  in  his  hand  a  lanceror  a  bow  and  arrows. 
The  dance  began,  by  about  a  dozen  of  them,  thus  attired, 
starting,  hopping,  jumpmg,  and  creeping  in  all  manner  of 
strange  uncouth  forms ;  singing,  yelping,  and  making  odd 
sounds  of  every  description,  while  others  were  shaking  rat 
tles  and  beating  drums  with  all  their  might ;  the  drums, 
the  rattles,  the  yelling,  the  frightful  din,  with  the  uncouth 
antics  of  the  dancers,  altogether  presented  such  a  scene, 


STORY    OF    AN    INDIAN     WOMAN.       163 

that,  were  you  once  to  be  present  at  a  buffalo  dance,  you 
would  talk  of  it  after,  all  the  days  of  your  lives. 

Basil.  And  do  they  keep  that  up  for  a  fortnight  ? 

Hunter.  Sometimes  much  longer,  for  they  never  give 
over  dancing  till  the  buffaloes  come.  Every  dancer,  when 
he  is  tired,  and  this  he  makes  known  by  crouching  down 
quite  low,  is  shot  with  blunt  arrows,  and  dragged  away, 
when  his  place  is  supplied  by  another.  While  the  dance  is 
going  on,  scouts  are  sent  out  to  look  for  buffaloes,  and  as 
soon  as  they  are  found,  a  shout  of  thanksgiving  is  raised  to 
the  Great  Spirit,  to  the  medicine  man,  and  to  the  dancers, 
and  preparation  is  made  for  a  buffalo  hunt.  After  this,  a 
great  feast  takes  place ;  all  their  sufferings  from  scarcity  are 
forgotten,  and  they  are  as  prodigal,  and  indeed  wasteful, 
of  their  buffalo  meat,  as  if  they  had  never  known  the  want 
of  it. 

•Austin.  Well,  I  should  like  to  see  the  buffalo  dance. 
Could  not  we  manage  one  on  the  lawn,  Brian  ? 

Brian.  But  where  are  we  to  get  the  buffalo  masks  from  ? 
The  Buffalo  hunt  did  very  well,  but  I  hardly  think  we 
could  manage  the  dance.  Please  to  tell  us  of  the  bear 
dance. 

Hunter.  I  think  it  will  be  better  to  tell  you  about  that, 
and  other  dances,  the  next  time  that  you  visit  me ;  for  I 
want  to  read  you  a  short  account,  which  I  have  here,  of  a 
poor  Indian  woman  of  the  Dog-ribbed  tribe.  I  have  not 
said  much  of  Indian  women,  and  I  want  you  to  feel  kindly 
towards  them.  It  was  Hearne,  who  went  with  a  party 
from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Northern  Ocean,  many  years 
ago,  who  fell  in  with  the  poor  woman. 

Basil.  Oh,  yes ;  let  us  hear  all  fcbout  her ;  and  you  can 
tell  us  of  the  dances  when  we  come  again. 

Hunter.  Now,  then,  I  will  begin.  One  day  in  January, 
when  they  were  hunting,  they  saw  the  track  of  a  strange 
snow  shoe,  which  they  followed,  and  at  a  considerable  dis 
tance  came  to  a  little  hut,  where  they  discovered  a  young 
woman  sitting  alone.  On  examination,  she  proved  to  be 


164          STORY    OP   AN    INDIAN     WOMAN. 

one  of  the  Dog-ribbed  Indians,  who  had  been  taken  priso 
ner  by  the  Athapus-cow  Indians,  in  the  summer  of  1770, 
and,  in  the  following  summer,  when  the  Indians  that  took 
her  prisoner  were  near  this  place,  she  had  escaped  from 
them,  intending  to  return  to  her  own  country.  But  the  dis 
tance  being  so  great,  and  having,  after  she  was  taken 
prisoner,  been  carried  in  a  canoe  the  whole  way,  the 
turnings  and  windings  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  were  so 
numerous  that  she  forgot  the  track  ;  so  she  built  the  hut  in 
which  she  was  found,  .to  protect  her  from  the  weather 
during  the  winter,  and  here  she  had  resided  from  the  first 
setting  in  of  the  fall. 

Brian.  What,  all  by  herself!  How  lonely  she  must  have 
been ! 

Hunter.  From  her  account  of  the  moons  passed  since 
Her  escape,  it  appeared  that  she  had  been  nearly  seven 
months  without  seeing  a  human  face ;  during  all  which 
time  she  had  supplied  herself  very  well,  by  snaring  par 
tridges,  rabbits,  and  squirrels :  she  had  also  killed  two  or 
three  beavers,  and  some  porcupines.  She  did  not  seem  to 
have  been  in  want,  and  had  a  small  stock  of  provisions  by 
her  when  she  was  discovered.  She  was  in  good  health  and 
condition,  and  one  of  the  finest  Indian  women  in  North 
America. 

•Austin.  I  should  have  been  afraid  that  other  Indians 
would  have  come  and  killed  her. 

Hunter.  The  methods  practised  by  this  poor  creature  to 
procure  a  livelihood  were  truly  admirable,  and  furnish  proof 
that  necessity  is,  indeed,  the  mother  of  invention.  When 
the  few  deer  sinews  that  she  had  an  opportunity  of  taking 
with  her  were  expended,  in  making  snares  and  sewing  her 
clothing,  she  had  nothing  to  supply  their  place  but  the 
sinews  of  the  rabbits'  legs  and  feet.  These  she  twisted 
together  for  that  purpose  with  great  dexterity  and  success. 
The  animals  which  she  caught  in  those  snares,  not  only  fur 
nished  her  with  a  comfortable  subsistence,  but  of  the  skins 
she  made  a  suit  of  neat  and  warm  clothing  for  the  winter 


STORY    OF    AN    INDIAN    WOMAN.  165 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  that  a  person  in  her  forlorn 
situation  could  be  so  composed  as  to  be  capable  of  contriv 
ing  and  executing  any  thing  that  was  not  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  her  existence ;  but  there  was  sufficient  proof  that 
she  had  extended  her  care  much  farther,  as  all  her  clothing, 
besides  being  calculated  for  real  service,  showed  great  taste, 
and  exhibited  no  little  variety  of  ornament.  The  materials, 
though  rude,  were  very  curiously  wrought,  and  so  judi 
ciously  placed,  as  to  make  the  whole  of  her  garb  have  a 
very  pleasant,  though  rather  romantic  appearance. 

Brian.  Poor  woman  !  I  should  have  liked  to  have  seen 
her  in  the  hut  of  her  own  building,  and  the  clothes  of  her 
own  making. 

Hunter.  Her  leisure  hours  from  hunting  had  been  em 
ployed  in  twisting  the  inner  rind,  or  bark,  of  willows  into 
small  lines,  like  net-twine,  of  which  she  had  some  hundred 
fathoms  by  her.  With  these  she  intended  to  make  a  fishing 
net,  as  soon  as  the  spring  advanced.  It  is  of  the  inner  bark 
of  the  willows,  twisted  in  this  manner,  that  the  Dog-ribbed 
Indians  make  their  fishing  nets ;  and  they  are  much  pre 
ferable  to  those  made  by  the  Northern  Indians. 

Basil.  I  like  that  poor  woman  very  much,  indeed. 

Hunter.  Five  or  six  inches  of  an  iron  hoop,  made  into  a 
knife,  and  the  shank  of  an  arrow  head  of  iron,  which  served 
her  as  an  awl,  were  all  the  metals  this  poor  woman  had 
with  her  when  she  eloped ;  and  with  these  implements,  she 
had  made  herself  complete  snow  shoes,  and  several  other 
useful  articles. 

Austin.  Capital !  capital !  Why,  she  seems  able  to  do 
every  thing. 

Hunter.  Her  method  of  making  a  fire  was  equally  sin 
gular  and  curious,  having  no  other  materials  for  that  pur 
pose  than  two  hard  sulphureous  stones.  These,  by  long « 
friction  and  hard  knocking,  produced  a  few  sparks,  which 
at  length  communicated  to  some  touch- wood.  But  as 
this  method  was  attended  with  great  trouble,  and  not  al- 


166 


INDIAN     CANOES. 


ways  successful,  she  did  not  suffer  her  fire  to  §p  out  all  the 
winter. 

Brian.  That  must  have  been  a  trouble  to  her.  I  hardly 
know  how  she  could  have  managed  that. 

Hunter.  When  the  Athapus-cow  Indians  took  this  woman 
prisoner,  they,  according  to  the  universal  custom  of  those 
savages,  surprised  her  and  her  party  in  the  night,  and  killed 
every  person  in  the  tent,  except  herself  and  three  other 
young  women.  Among  those  whom  they  killed  were  her 
father,  mother,  and  husband.  Her  young  child,  four  or 
five  months  old,  she  concealed  in  a  bundle  of  clothing,  and 
took  it  with  her  undiscovered  in  the  night.  But  when  she 
arrived  at  the  place  where  her  captors  had  left  their  wives, 
which  was  not  far  distant,  they  began  to  examine  the  bun 
dle,  and  finding  the  child,  one  of  the  women  took  it  from 
her,  and  killed  it  on  the  spot. 

Basil.  That  was  very  terrible  indeed. 

Hunter.  This  last  piece  of  barbarity  gave  her  such  a 
disgust  to  those  Indians,  that,  notwithstanding  the  man  who 
took  care  of  her  treated  her  in  every  respect  as  his  wife,  and 
was,  she  said,  remarkably  kind  to  her,  and  very  fond  of  her, 
she  was  so  far  from  being  able  to  reconcile  herself  to  any 
of  the  tribe,  that  she  rather  chose  to  expose  herself  to  want 
and  misery,  than  to  live  in  ease  and  affluence  among 
persons  who  had  so  cruelly  murdered  her  infant. 


INDIAN  CANOES. 


C,  DRUM.      d,  d,  RATTLES.       «,  DRUM.     /,  MYSTERY  WHISTLE. 
g,  DEER- SKIN  FLUTE. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Musical  instruments  —  Whistles,  lutes,  rattles,  and  drums  —  War 
whistle  and  deer-skin  Jlute — The  beggars'  dance — The  doctors' 
dance — The  pipe  dance — The  black  drink — The  green  corn  dance — 
The  dog  dance — The  discovery  dance — The  slave  dance — The  scalp 
dance— The  sham  scalp  dance — The  eagle  dance — The  snow  shoe 
dance — The  straw  dance — The  bear  dance — The  war  dance— Sham 
fight  of  the  Mandan  boys. 

EVER,  sure,  did  young  people  cut  a 
more  grotesque  appearance,  than  did 
Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil  Edwards,  in 
their  attempt  to  get  up  a  buffalo 
dance.  Each  had  a  mat  over  his  shoul 
ders,  and  a  brown  paper  mask  over  his 
face  ;  two  wooden  pegs  on  a  string  made  a 
very  respectable  pair  of  horns ;  bows  and 
arrows  were  in  abundance  ;  a  child's  rattle  and  drum,  with 
the  addition  of  an  iron  spoon  and  a  wooden  trencher,  sup- 
plied  them  with  music;  and  neither  Mandan,  Pawnee, 
Crow,  Sioux,  Blackfoot,  nor  Camanchee,  could  have 
reasonably  complained  of  the  want  of  either  noise  or 

confusion. 

167 


168  MUSICAL    INSTRUMENTS. 

Then,  again,  they  were  very  successful  in  bringing  buffa. 
loes,  without  which  the  dance,  excellent  as  it  was,  would 
have  been  but  an  unsatisfactory  affair.  Black  Tom  had 
been  prudently  shut  up  in  the  tool  house,  and  Jowler  tied 
up  to  a*  tree  hard  by,  so  that,  when  it  became  expedient  for 
buffaloes  to  appear,  the  prison  house  of  Black  Tom  was 
opened,  .and  Jowler  was  se't  at  liberty.  All  things  con 
sidered,  the  affair  went  off  remarkably  well. 

"  We  are  come  to  hear  of  the  bear  dance,  and  the  dog 
dance,  and  the  beggars'  dance,  and  the  green  corn  dance,' ' 
said  Austin  to  the  hunter,  on  the  following  day,  when  a 
visit  was  paid  to  the  cottage.  The  hunter,  with  his  accus 
tomed  kindness  to  the  young  people,  lost  no  time  in  en 
tering  on  his  narrative.  «  You  must  not  forget/'  said  he, 
"that  many  of  the  dances  of  the  Indians  partake  of  a  reli 
gious  character,  for  in  them  reverence  and  adoration  are 
freely  offered.  The  Indian's  worship  o£.  the  Great  Spirit, 
as  I  have  already  told  you,  is  mingled  with  much  of 
ignorance  and  superstition,  whether  in  dances  or  in  other 
observances;  yet  do  they,  at  times,  so  heartily  humble 
themselves  before  him,  as  to  leave  a  deep  impression  of 
their  sincerity.  I  have  not  as  yet  described  their  music, 
and  therefore  will  do  it  now." 

•Austin.  Yes.     Now  for  the  music  of  the  Red  Indians. 

Hunter.  If  you  ever  go  among  them,  and  mingle  in 
their  dances,  you  must  not  expect  to  have  a  band  of  music 
such  as  you  have  in  England.  Whist  I;  s,  flutes,  rattles,  and 
drums  are  almost  all  their  musical  instruments.  You  would 
be  surprised  at  the  music  that  some  of  the  young  Indians 
produce  with  the  mystery  whistle. 

Austin.  Why  is  it  called  the  mystery  whistle? 

Hunter.  I  have  already  told  you  that  the  red  man  calls 
everything  mystery,  or  medicine,  that  is  surprising  ;  and  as 
the  notes  of  this  whistle  are  particularly  sweet,  it  may  be 
called  mystery  whistle  on  this  account.  There  is  another 
whistle  that  is  very  much  in  request  among  the  Indians,  and 
that  is  the  war  whistle.  The  onset  and  the  retreat  in 


MODES    OF    DANCING.  169 

battle  are  sounded  on  this  instrument  by  the  leading  chief, 
who  never  goes  on  an  expedition  without  it.  It  is  made 
of  bone,  and  sometimes  it  is  formed  of  the  leg  bone  of  a 
large  bird.  The  shrill  scream-like  note  which  is  the  signal 
for  rushing  on  an  enemy,  would  make  you  start. 

Brian.  What  sort  of  a  drum  do  they  use  ?  Is  it  a  kettle 
drum  ?  • 

Hunter.  No.  It  is  merely  a  piece  of  raw  hide,  stretched 
as  tight  as  it  can  be  pulled  over  a  hoop.  Some  of  their 
drums  have  but  one  end,  or  surface  to  beat  upon,  while 
others  have  two.  What  they  would  do  in  their  dances 
without  their  drums  1  do  not  know,  for  in  them  you  hear 
the  rub,  dub,  dub,  dub  continually.  Their  rattles  are  of 
different  kinds,  some  much  larger  than  others ;  but  the 
principle  on  which  they  are  formed  is  the  same,  that  is,  of 
inclosing  stones  of  different  sizes  in  hard,  dry,  raw  hide. 

•Austin.  Have  they  no  trumpets,  and  cymbals,,  and  clar 
ionets,  and  violins  ? 

Hunter.  No,  nothing  of  the  kind.  They  have  a  deer 
skin  flute,  on  which  very  tolerable  music  is  made  ;  but  after 
all,  it  must  be  admitted  that  Red  Indians  are  much  better 
buffalo  hunters  than  they  are  musicians. 

Austin.  Ay  ;  they  are  quite  at  home  in  hunting  buffaloes. 

Hunter.  Yes ;  and  they  are  at  home,  too,  in  danc 
ing,  being  extremely  agile.  Some  of  their  dances  are  so 
hideous  that  you  would  be  disgusted  with  them,  while  others 
would  keep  you  laughing  till  you  knew  not  what  to  do 
with  yourselves. 

Brian.  You  must  please  to  tell  us  about  these  dances. 

Hunter.  Dancing  is  a  very  favourite  amusement  of  the 
Indians ;  though  it  is,  for  the  most  part,  of  a  character  so 
different  from  that  of  dancing  in  civilized  life,  that  few 
people,  ignorant  of  its  meaning  and  allusions,  would  like  it. 
The  body  is  so  continually  in  a  stooping  attitude,  and  the 
gestures  and  grimaces  appear  to  be  so  unmeaning,  that  at 
first  it  leaves  an  impression  that  they  are  making  game  of 
dancing,  rather  than  entering  into  it  in  right  earnest.  There 
W  15 


170  BEGGARS'    DANCE. 

is  such  creeping,  and  jumping,  and  starting,  that  a  spectator 
can  make  but  little  of  it. 

Austin.  I  can  fancy  that  I  see  a  party  joining  in  the 
buffalo  dance  now,  with  their  masks  over  theii  faces.  Please 
to  tell  us  of  the  bear  dance. 

Hunter.  By  and  by.  I  will  describe  a  few  other  dances 
first.  The  beggars'  dance  is  undertaken  to  prevail  on  such 
of  the  spectators  as  abound  in  comforts  to  offer  gifts  to  those 
who  are  more  scantily  provided  with  them.  It  is  danced 
by  the  young  men  who  stand  high  in  the  tribe.  These 
shake  their  rattles,  hold  up  their  pipes,  and  brandish  their 
lances,  while  they  dance  ;  chanting  an  odd  strain,  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  in  praise  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  imploring 
him  to  dispose  the  lookers-on  to  give  freely.  The  dancers 
are  all  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  sort  of  kilt  formed 
of  quills  and  feathers ;  and  a  medicine  man  keeps  on  all 
the  time  beating  furiously  on  a  drum  with  a  rattle,  and  hal 
looing  out  as  loud  as  he  can  raise  his  voice. 

Austin.  That  ought  to  be  called  the  begging  dance,  and 
not  the  beggars*  dance;  for  the  dancers  do  not  beg  for  them 
selves,  but  for  others. 

Hunter.  You  see  that  the  object  of  the  dance  is  a  good 
one ;  for  many  a  skin,  or  pouch,  or  pipe,  or  other  necessary 
article  is  given  by  the  spectators  to  those  of  their  tribe  who 
need  them.  It  is  not  common  among  the  Indians  for 
their  aged  men  arid  mystery  men  to  mingle  in  the  dance, 
and  yet  I  have  seen,  on  especial  occasions,  a  score  of  them 
jumping  and  capering  in  a  way  very  creditable  to  their 
agility.  The  Sioux  have  a  dance  that  ought  to  be  called 
the  doctors'  dance,  or  the  dance  of  the  chiefs. 

Brian.  What,  do  the  doctors  dance  in  it  ? 

Hunter.  Yes ;  while  a  medicine  man  beats  his  drum,  and 
a  party  of  young  women  sing,  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe  and 
ttfe  doctors  make  their  appearance,  splendidly  attired  in 
their  costliest  head  dresses,  carrying  a  spear  in  one  hand 
and  a  rattle  in  the  other.  Every  movement  is  strictly  regu 
lated  by  the  beat  of  the  drum,  and  the  dance  by  degrees 


THE    PIPE    DANCE.  171 

becomes  more  and  more  spirited,  until  you  would  suppose 
the  party  must  be  exhausted ;  but  men  so  much  in  the  open 
air,  and  whose  limbs  are  so  little  restrained  by  bandages 
and  tight  clothing,  can  bear  a  great  deal  of  fatigue.  The 
pipe  dance  of  the  Assinneboins  is  one  of  their  most  animated 
amusements. 

Basil.  Oh  !  do  tell  us  about  the  pipe  dance. 

Hunter.  In  the  ground  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  a  fire 
is  lighted,  and  a  party  assemble  round  it ;  every  one  smok 
ing  his  pipe,  as  he  sits  on  his  buffalo  skin,  as  though  nothing 
was  farther  from  his  thoughts  than  dancing.  While  these 
are  whiffing  away  at  a  distance  from  the  fire,  a  mystery 
man,  who  sits  nearer  to  the  flame,  smokes  a  longer  pipe, 
grunting  at  the  same  time  a  kind  of  tune.  Suddenly  is 
heard  the  rub-a-dub  of  a  drum,  or  the  beat  of  some  other 
instrument  of  the  same  kind ;  when  instantly  starts  to  his 
feet  one  of  the  smokersvhopping  like  a  parched  pea,  spin 
ning  round  like  a  top,  and  starting  and  jumping,  at  every 
beat  of  the  drum,  in  a  very  violent  manner.  In  this  way 
he  goes  round  the  smokers,  seemingly  threatening  them  all, 
and  at  last  pounces  upon  one  of  them,  whom  he  compels  to 
dance  in  the  same  manner  as  himself.  The  new  dancer 
acts  his  part  like  the  former  one,  capering  and  jumping 
round  the  smokers,  and  compelling  another  to  join  them. 
Thus  the  dance  continues  till  all  of  them  are  occupied, 
when  the  hopping,  the  jumping*  the  frightful  postures 
into  which  they  throw  themselves,  together  with  the  grunt 
ing,  growling,  singing,  hooting,  and  hallooing,  are  beyond 
all  belief.  There  are  few  dances  of  the  Red  Indians  more 
full  of  wild  gestures  and  unrestrained  turbulence  than  the 
pipe  dance. 

Basil.  I  hope  you  have  a  good  many  more  dances  to  tell 
us  of. 

Hunter.  The  green  corn  dance  of  the  Minatarees  must 
be  described  to  you.  Among  Indian  tribes,  green  corn  is 
a  great  luxury,  and  the  time  when  it  arrives  is  a  time  of 
rejoicing.  Dances,  and  songs  of  thanksgiving,  are  abun- 


172  THE    GREEN    CORN    DANCE. 

dant ;  and  the  people  give  way  not  only  to  feasting,  but 
also  to  gluttony;  so  that  often,  by  abusing  the  abundance 
in  their  possession,  they  bring  upon  themselves  the  mise 
ries  of  want.  The  Red  Indians  have  very  little  forethought , 
to  enjoy  the  present,  and  to  trust  the  future  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  is  their  constant  practice. 

Austin.  How  long  does  the  green  corn  dance  last  ? 

Hunter.  For  eight  or  ten  days,  during  which  time  there 
is  the  most  unbounded  prodigality.  Among  many  of  the 
tribes,  the  black  drink,  a  very  powerful  medicine,  is  taken 
two  or  three  days  before  the  feast,  that  the  green  corn  may 
be  eaten  with  a  sharp  appetite  and  an  empty  stomach. 

Brian.  In  what  way  does  the  green  corn  dance  begin  ? 

Hunter.  As  soon  as  the  corn  is  in  a  proper  state — and 
this  is  decided  by  the  mystery  men — runners  are  despatched 
through  the  village,  that  all  may  assemble  on  the  following 
day  to  dance  and  feast.  Sufficient  corn  for  the  required 
purpose  is  gathered  by  the  women,  who  have  the  fields 
under  their  care,  and  a  fire  is  made,  over  which  a  kettle, 
with  green  corn  in  it,  is  kept  boiling ;  while  medicine  men, 
whose  bodies  are  strangely  painted,  or  bedaubed  with  clay 
of  a  white  colour,  dance  round  it  in  very  uncouth  attitudes, 
with  corn-stalks  in  their  hands. 

Austin.  I  dare  say,  while  the  pot  is  boiling,  they  are  all 
longing  to  begin  the  feast. 

Hunter.  The  first  kettle  full  is  not  for  themselves,  it  is 
an  offering  to  the  Great  Spirit.  There  are  many  customs 
among  the  Red  Indians  which  cannot  but  bring  the  Jews  to 
our  remembrance  ;  and  this  offering  of  the  first  kettle-full 
of  green  corn  does  so  very  forcibly.  The  medicine  men 
round  the  fire  shake  their  rattles,  hold  up  their  corn-stalks, 
and  sing  loudly  a  song  of  thanksgiving,  till  the  corn  is  suffi 
ciently  boiled ;  it  is  then  put  over  the  fire,  and  consumed  to 
a  cinder.  Before  this  offering  is  made,  none  of  the  Indians 
would  dare  to  taste  of  the  luxurious  fare  ;  but,  afterwards, 
their  appetite  is  unrestrained. 

Austin.  Then  they  begin  to  boil  more  corn,  I  suppose. 


THE    DISCOVERY    DANCE.  173 

Hunter.  A  fresh  fire  is  made,  a  fresh  kettle  of  corn  is 
prepared,  and  the  dance  goes  on  ;  the  medicine  men  keep 
ing  close  round  the  fire,  and  the  others  capering  and  shout 
ing  in  a  larger  circle,  their  energy  increasing  as  the  feast 
approaches  nearer  and  nearer.  The  chiefs  and  medicine 
men  then  sit  down  to  the  feast,  followed  by  the  whole  of 
the  tribe,  keeping  up  their  festivity  day  after  day,  till  the 
corn-field  has  little  more  grain  remaining  in  it  than  what  is 
necessary  for  seed.  You  have  heard  the  saying,  "  Wilful 
waste  brings  woful  want.'1  The  truth  of  this  saying  is 
set  forth,  not  only  in  civilized  life,  but  also  among  the  Red 
Indians  of  North  America. 

Basil.  I  wonder  what  dance  will  come  next. 

Hunter.  I  need  not  describe  many  others.  If  I  run  rap 
idly  through  half  a  dozen  more,  and  dwell  a  little  on  the 
bear  dance  and  the  war  dance,  you  will  then  have  heard 
quite  enough  about  dances.  One  of  the  most  favourite 
dances  of  the  Sioux  is  the  dog  dance,  though  I  shall  say 
but  a  few  words  on  the  subject,  for  it  is  a  disgusting  scene. 
The  hearts  and  livers  of  dogs,  cut  into  shreds,  are  hung  up, 
bleeding,  about  as  high  as  a  man's  mouth  ;  and  the  dancers, 
after  boasting  loudly  of  their  courage,  and  valorous  exploits, 
approach  the  livers  and  hearts,  biting  off  a  piece  and  eating 
it,  every  action  agreeing  to  the  time  beat  by  the  music. 
None  but  such  as  have  taken  scalps  from  their  enemy,  are 
allowed  to  join  in  this  dance.  They  boast  that  they  have 
eaten  of  the  hearts  of  their  foes,  as  they  then  do  of  the  heart 
and  liver  of  the  dogs. 

Brian.  I  do  riot  like  that  dance  at  all.  It  is  all  cruel, 
from  one  end  of  it  to  the  other. 

Basil.  They  have  no  business  to  kill  their  poor  dogs  in 
that  way. 

Hunter.  The  discovery  dance  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  is 
of  a  different  kind,  for  that  is  agreeable.  While  the  dance 
is  going  on,  the  dancers  pretend  to  discover  an  enemy,  or 
some  kind  of  game,  such  as  a  buffalo,  a  bear,  or  a  deer ; 
ancL  their  attitudes,  in  such  cases,  are  very  striking  and 

15  * 


174  THE    SCALP    DANCE. 

appropriate.  It  is  also  among  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  that  the 
slave  dance  prevails. 

Austin.  What !  have  the  Red  Indians  slaves  among 
them? 

Hunter.  Not  exactly  in  the  way  in  which  you  imagine  ; 
but  there  are  slavish  duties  to  be  performed  for  the  tribe, 
and  such  young  men  as  wish  to  be  free  from  the  perform 
ance  of  them,  agree  to  become  slaves  for  the  space  of  two 
years,  after  which  time  they  are  exempt  from  such  servi 
tude,  and  are  allowed  to  join  in  war  parties.  The  slave 
dance  is  performed  by  young  men  of  this  description.  The 
scalp  dance  is  in  use  among  the  Sioux  or  Dahcotas. 

Brian.  I  am  afraid  the  scalp  dance  is  a  very  terrible  one. 

Hunter.  It  is  rather  a  fearful  exhibition ;  for  women,  in 
the  centre  of  a  circle,  hold  up  and  wave  about  the  scalps 
which  have  been  torn  from  the  slaughtered  foes  of  the  tribe, 
while  the  warriors  draw  around  them  in  the  most  furious 
attitudes,  brandishing  their  war  clubs,  uttering  the  most 
hideous  howls  and  screams.  The  Red  Indians  have  many 
good  qualities,  but  cruelty  seems  to  mingle  with  their  very 
nature  ;  every  thing  is  done  among  them  that  can  be  done, 
to  keep  alive  the  desire  to  shed  blood.  The  highest  act  a 
red  man  can  perform,  and  that  which  he  thinks  the  most 
useful  to  his  tribe,  and  the  most  acceptable  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  is  to  destroy  an  enemy,  and  to  tear  away  his  scalp 
as  a  trophy  of  his  valour.  If  it  were  only  for  this  one  trait 
in  the  Indian  character,  even  this  would  be  sufficient  to  con 
vince  every  humane  person,  and  especially  every  Christian, 
of  the  duty  and  great  advantage  of  spreading  among  them 
the  mercy-loving  principles  of  Christianity.  A  holy  influ 
ence  is  necessary  to  teach  the  untutored  red  man  to  forgive 
his  enemies,  to  subdue  his  anger,  to  abate  his  pride,  and  to 
stay  his  hand  in  shedding  human  blood.  The  new  com 
mandment  must  be  put  in  his  heart :  "  A  new  command 
ment  I  give  unto  you,  That  ye  love  one  another."  John 
xiii.  34.  The  Mandan  boys  used  to  join  in  a  sham  scalp 
dance,  in  which  they  conducted  themselves  just  like  war- 


THE    STRAW  DANCE.  175 

riors  returning  from  a  victorious  enterprise  against  their 
enemies. 

Basil.  They  are  all  sadly  fond  of  righting. 

Hunter.  In  the  brave  dance  of  the  Ojibbeways,  there  is 
plenty  of  swaggering :  the  dancers  seem  as  if  they  knew 
not  how  to  be  proud  enough  of  their  warlike  exploits.  The 
eagle  dance, among  the  Choctaws,  is  an  elegant  amusement; 
and  the  snow  shoe  dance,  of  the  Ojibbeways,  is  a  very 
amusing  one. 

Brian.  Please  tell  us  about  them  both. 

Hunter.  I  must  not  stay  to  describe  them  particularly :  it 
will  be  enough  to  say,  that,  in  the  one,  the  dancers  are 
painted  white,  and  that  they  move  about  waving  in  their 
hands  the  tail  of  the  eagle ;  in  the  other — which  is  per 
formed  on  the  first  fall  of  snow,  in  honour  of  the  Great 
Spirit — the  dancers  wear  snow  shoes,  which,  projecting  far 
before"  and  behind  their  feet,  give  them  in  the  dance  a  most 
strange  and  laughable  appearance. 

Brian.  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  that  dance  ;  there 
is  nothing  cruel  in  it  at  all. 

Basil.  And  I  should  like  to  see  the  eagle  dance,  for  there 
is  no  cruelty  in  that  either. 

Hunter.  The  straw  dance,  is  a  Sioux  dance  of  a  very 
curious  description.  Loose  straws  are  tied  to  the  bodies  of 
naked  children  ;  these  straws  are  then  set  on  fire,  and  the 
children  are  required  to  dance,  without  uttering  any  expres 
sion  of  pain.  This  practice  is  intended  to  make  them  hardy> 
that  they  may  become  the  better  warriors. 

Basil.  That  is  one  of  the  strangest  dances  of  all.  Why, 
the  poor  children  must  be  sadly  burned ! 

Hunter.  I  will  now  say  a  little  about  the  bear  dance,  An4 
the*  war  dance.  The  bear  dance  is  performed  by  the  Sioux 
before  they  set  off  on  a  bear  hunt.  If  the  bear  dance  were 
left  unperformed  they  would  hardly  hope  for  success.  The 
Bear  spirit,  if  this  honour  were  not  paid  to  him,  would  be 
offended,  and  prevent  their  success  in  the  chase. 

Austin.  What!  do  the  Sioux  think  there  is  a  Bear  spirit? 


176  THE    WAR    DANCE. 


BEAR    DANCE. 


Hunter.  Yes.  The  number  of  spirits  of  one  kind  or 
other,  believed  in  by  the  Indians,  is  very  great.  In  the 
bear  dance,  the  principal  performer  has  a  bear  skin  over 
him,  the  head  of  it  hanging  over  his  head,  and  the  paws 
over  his  hands.  Others  have  masks  of  bears'  faces ;  and 
all  of  them,  throughout  the  dance,  imitate  the  actions  of  a 
bear.  They  stoop  down,  they  dangle  their  hands,  arid 
make  frightful  noises,  besides  singing  to  the  Bear  spirit.  If 
you  can  imagine  twenty  bears  dancing  to  the  music  of  the 
rattle,  whistle,  and  drum,  making  odd  gambols,  and  yelling 
out  the  most  frightful  noises,  you  will  have  some  notion  of 
the  bear  dance  among  the  Dahcotas. 

Brian.  Now  for  the  war  dance :  that  is  come  at  last. 

Hunter.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a  more  arrest 
ing  spectacle  than  that  of  the  war  dance  among  the  Sioux : 
it  exhibits  Indian  manners  on  the  approach  of  war.  As, 
among  civilized  people,  soldiers  are  raised  either  by  recruit 
ing  or  other  means ;  so,  among  the  Red  Indians,  something 
like  recruiting  prevails.  The  red  pipe  is  sent  through  the 
tribe,  and  every  one  who  draws  a  whiff  up  the  stem,  thereby 
declares  he  is  willing  to  join  the  war  party.  The  warriors 
then  assemble  together,  painted  vermilion  and  other  colours, 


DIFFICULT    LESSON.  IT* 

and  dressed  in  their  war  clothes,  with  their  weapons  and 
their  war-eagle  head  dresses. 

•ftustin.  What  a  sight  that  must  be  ! 

Hunter.  When  the  mystery  man  has  stuck  up  a  red  post 
in  the  ground,  and  begun  to  beat  his  drum,  the  warriors 
advance,  one  after  another,  brandishing  their  war  clubs,  and 
striking  the  red  post  a  violent  blow,  while  the  mystery  man 
sings  their  death  song.  When  the  warriors  have  struck  the 
post,  they  blacken  their  faces,  and  all  set  to  dancing  around 
it.  The  shrill  warwhoop  is  screamed  aloud,  and  frantic 
gestures  and  frightful  yells  show,  but  too  plainly,  that  there 
will  be  very  little  mercy  extended  to  the  enemy  that  falls 
into  their  hands. 

Brian.  That  war  dance  would  make  me  tremble. 

Hunter.  The  Mandan  boys  used  to  assemble  at  the  back 
of  their  village,  every  morning,  as  soon  as  the  sun  was  in 
the  skies,  to  practise  sham  fighting.  Under  the  guidance 
and  directions  of  their  ablest  and  most  courageous  braves 
and  warriors,  they  were  instructed  in  all  the  mysteries  of 
war.  The  preparation,  the  ambush,  the  surprise,  the 
combat  and  the  retreat,  were  made  familiar  to  them :  thus 
were  they  bred  up  from  their  youth  to  delight  in  warfare, 
and  to  long  for  opportunities  of  using  their  tomahawks  and 
scalping  knives  against  their  foes. 

When  you  next  come  to  the  cottage,  I  will  give  you  an 
account  of  the  cruel  customs  of  the  mystery  lodge  of  the 
Mandans ;  with  the  hope  that  it  will  increase  your  abhor 
rence  of  cruelty  and  bloodshed,  render  you  more  than  ever 
thankful  for  the  blessings  of  peace,  and  more  anxious  for 
that  peace  of  God  that  passeth  all  understanding.  The 
hardest  of  all  lessons,  now,  to  a  red  man,  is,  as  1  have 
before  intimated,  to  forgive  his  enemies  ;  but  when,  through 
Divine  mercy,  his  knowledge  is  extended,  and  his  heart 
opened  to  receive  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  he  will  be  enabled 
to  understand,  to  love,  and  to  practise  the  injunction  of  the 
Saviour,  "  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you, 


178       DESCRIPTION  OF   PE-TO  H-PEE-KISS. 

do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which 
despite  fully  use  you,  and  persecute  you,"  Matt.  v.  44.    Be 
fore  you  leave  me,  pray  look  -at  this  sketch  which  Mr 
Catlin  gave  me,  Pe-toh-pee-kiss,  the  eagle  ribs,  a  brave  of 
the  Blackfeet  tribe.     He  boasted  of  eight  scalps  which  he 
said  he  had  taken  from  the  heads  of  trappers  and  traders 
with  his  own  hands.     His  dress  was  covered  with  scalp 
locks  of  white  men  and  Indians.  His  head  dress  is  of  ermine 
skins  with  ornaments  of  buffalo  horns.     The  buffalo  horns 
are  shaved  thin  so  as  to  be  light.     They  are  a  badge  of 
courage  and  distinction.     Is  he  not  a  fierce  looking  fellow  ? 


PE-TOH-PEE-KISS,    A.   BLACKFOOT    BRAVE. 


179 


INTERIOR    OF   A    MYSTERY   LODGE. 

, 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  mystery  lodge  of  the  Mandans,  to  appease  the  good  and  evil  spirits 
— The  Great  Canoe — The  unknown  man  from  the  prairie — The  old 
mystery  man — The  bull  dance — Preparing  young  warriors  for 
hardships  and  dangers — The  tortures  inflicted — The  self-possession 
of  the  young  men — The  last  run — Fainting  and  recovery  of  the 
tortured  Indians —  The  speech  of  Logan,  an  Indian  chief- — Address 
of  the  Seneca  Indians  to  Governor  Clinton — Address  of  the  chiefs 
of  the  same  tribe — Speech  of  a  warrior — Speech  of  Red  Jacket,  in 
reply  to  a  missionary. 

NDOUBTEDLY  it**was  well 
for  Austin  Edwards   and  his 
brothers,  that  their  acquaint 
ance    with    their    friend,    the 
hunter,  commenced  during  one 
of  their  holidays,  so  that  they  were 
enabled  to  pay  him  a  visit  more  fre 
quently  than  they  otherwise  could 
have   done.      The   life   led   by   the 
hunter  would  have  been  far  too  soli 
tary  for  most  people;    but  his  long   wanderings  in  the 

16  181 


182  INDIFFERENCE    TO    PAIN. 

extended  praires,  and  his  long  sojournings  in  places  remote 
from  society,  had  rendered  the  quiet  tranquillity  of  country 
scenes  pleasant  to  him  :  yet.  still,  as  variety  has  its  charms, 
it  afforded  him  a  pleasant  change,  whenever  the  three 
brothers  visited  the  cottage. 

In  his  younger  days,  he  had  entered  on  the  life  of  a 
hunter  and  trapper  with  much  ardour.  To  pursue  the 
buffalo,  or  more  properly  speaking  the  bison,  of  the  prairie, 
the  deer,  and  other  animals,  and  to  mingle  with  the  differ 
ent  tribes  of  Red  Indians,  was  his  delight.  With  wild  ani 
mals  and  wild  men  he  became  familiar,  and  even  the  very 
dangers  that  beset  his  path  gave  an  added  interest  to  his 
pursuits  :  but  his  youth  was  gone,  his  manhood  was  declin 
ing  into  years,  and  the  world  that  he  once  looked  upon  as 
an  abiding  dwelling  place,  he  now  regarded  as  the  pathway 
to  a  better  home. 

Time  was,  when  to  urge  the  arrow  or  the  spear  into  the 
heart  of  the  flying  prey  for  mere  diversion,  and  to  join  in 
the  wild  war-whoop  of  contending  tribes,  was  congenial  to 
his  spirit ;  but  his  mind  had  been  sobered,  so  that  now  to 
practise  forbearance  and  kindness  was  far  more  pleasant, 
than  to  indulge  in  cruelty  and  revenge.  He  looked  on 
mankind  as  one  great  family,  which  ought  to  dwell  in 
brotherly  love;  and  he  regarded  the  animal  creation  as 
given  by  a  Heavenly  Hand,  for  the  use,  and  not  the  abuse, 
of  man. 

In  relating  the  scenes  in  which  he  had  mingled  in  earlier 
years,  he  was  aware  that  he  could  not  avoid  calling  up,  in 
some  measure,  in  the  youthful  hearts  of  his  auditors,  the 
natural  desire  to  see  what  was  new,  and  strange,  and  won 
derful,  without  reflecting  a  moment  on  the  good  or  the  evil 
of  the  thing  set  before  them :  but  he  endeavoured  to  blend 
with  his  descriptions,  such  remarks  as  would  lead  them  to 
love  what  was  right,  and  to  hate  what  was  wrong.  Re 
garding  the  Indian  tribes  as  an  injured  people,  he  sought  to 
set  before  his  young  friends  the  wrongs  and  oppressions 


THE    GREAT    CANOE.  183 

practised  on  the  red  man ;  that  they  might  sympathise  with 
his  trials,  and  feel  interested  for  his  welfare. 
•  The  few  words' that  had  dropped  from  his  lips,  about  the 
ordeal  through  which  the  Red  Indians  pass  before  they  are 
allowed  to  join  war  parties,  had  awakened  Austin's  curi 
osity.  Nor  was  it  long  before,  seated  with  his  brothers  in 
the  cottage,  he  was  listening  to  the  whole  account.  "Please 
to  begin  at  the  very  beginning/'  said  he,  "  and  I  shall  not 
lose  a  single  word." 

Hunter.  The  Sioux,  the  Crows,  the  Sacs,  the  Ojibbe- 
ways,  the  Camanchees,  and  the  Chippeways,  all  exhibit 
astonishing  proofs  of  patience  and  endurance  under  pain ; 
but  in  none  of  the  tribes  has  ever  such  torture  been  inflicted, 
or  such  courage  witnessed,  in  enduring  torment,  as  among 
the .  Mandans. 

Brian.  Now  we  shall  hear. 

Hunter.  The  Mandans,  who,  as  I  have  already  told  you, 
lived,  when  I  was  a  hunter,  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  held  a 
mystery  lodge  every  year;  and  this  was,  indeed,  a  very- 
solemn  gathering  of  the  tribe.  I  was  never  present  in  the 
lodge  on  this  occasion,  but  will  give  you  the  description  of 
an  eye-witness. 

Basil.  Why  did  they  get  together  ?     What  did  they  do  ? 

Hunter.  You  shall  hear.  The  mystery  lodge,  or  it  may 
be  called  the  religious  meeting,,  was  held,  first,  to  appease 
the  wrath,  and  secure  the  protection,  of  the  good  and  the 
evil  spirits ;  secondly,  to  celebrate  the  great  flood,  which 
they  believed  took  place  a  long  time  ago  ;  thirdly,  to  per 
form  the  bull  dance,  to  bring  buffaloes ;  and,  fourthly,  to 
try  the  strength,  courage,  and  endurance  of  their  young 
men*  that  they  might  know  who  were  the  most  worthy 
among  them,  and  the  most  to  be  relied  on  in  war  parties. 

Austin.  How  come  the  Mandans  to  know  any  thing 
about  the  flood,  if  they  have  no  Bibles  ? 

Hunter.  That  I  cannot  tell.  Certain  it  is,  that  they  had 
a  large  high  tub,  called  the  Great  Canoe,  in  the  centre  of 
their  village,  set  up  in  commemoration  of  the  flood ;  and 


184         THE    MANDAN    MYSTERY    LODGE. 

that  they  held  the  mystery  lodge  when  the  willow  leaves 
were  in  their  prime  under  the  river  bank,  because,  they 
said,  a  bird  had  brought  a  willow  bough  in  full  leaf  to  the 
Great  Canoe  in  the  flood. 

Austin.  Why,  it  is  just  as  if  they  had  read  the  Bible. 

Hunter.  The  fact  of  the  deluge,  however  they  came  by 
it,  had  undoubtedly  been  handed  down  among-  them  by 
tradition  for  many  generations :  but  I  must  go  on  with  my 
account  of  the  Mandan  gathering.  The  mystery  lodge  was 
opened  by  a  strange  looking  man,  whom  no  one  seemed  to 
know,  and  who  came  from  the  prairie.  This  odd  man 
called  for  some  edge  tool  at  every  wigwam  in  the  village ; 
and  all  these  tools,  at  the  end  of  the  ceremonies,  were  cast 
into  the  river  from  a  high  bank ;  as  an  offering,  I  suppose, 
to  the  Water  spirit.  After  opening  the  mystery  lodge,  and 
appointing  a  medicine  man  to  preside,  he  once  more  disap 
peared  on  the  prairie. 

Brian.  What  an  odd  thing  ! 

Hunter.  There  were  two  or  three  score  young  men  in 
the  lodge,  candidates  for  reputation  among  the  tribe,  having 
presented  themselves  to  undergo  the  prescribed  tortures. 
As  they  reclined  in  the  lodge,  every  one  had  hung  up  over 
his  head,  his  shield,  his  bow  and  quiver,  and  his  medicine 
bag.  The  young  men  were  painted  different  colours.  The 
old  mystery  man  appointed  to  superintend  the  ceremonies, 
sat  by  a  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  smoking  leisurely 
with  his  medicine  pipe,  in  honour  of  the  Great  Spirit ;  and 
there  he  sat  for  four  days,  and  as  many  nights,  during  which 
the  young  men  neither  tasted  bit  nor  drop,  nor  were  they 
allowed  to  close  their  eyes. 

Basil.  It  was  enough  to  kill  them  all. 

Hunter.  On  the  floor  of  the  lodge  were  buffalo  and 
human  skulls,  and  sacks  filled  with  water,  shaped  like  tur 
tles,  or  rather  tortoises,  with  sticks  by  them.  During  each 
of  the  four  days,  the  bull  dance  was  performed  over  and 
over  again,  by  Indians  painted,  and  wearing  over  them 
whole  buffalo  skins,  with  tails,  and  hoofs,  and  horns,  while 


DREADFUL    TORTURES.  185 

A 

iu  their  hands  they  carried  rattles  and  long  thin  white 
wands,  and  bore  on  their  backs  bundles  of  green  boughs 
of  the  willow.  Some  of  the  dancers  were  painted  red,  to 
represent  the  day ;  and  others  black,  with  stars,  to  resemble 
the  night.  During  these  bull  dances,  which  took  place 
round  the  Great  Canoe,  the  tops  of  the  wigwams  were 
crowded  with  people. 

Austin.  I  want  to  hear  about  the  young  Indians  in  the 
lodge,  and  that  old  fellow  the  mystery  man. 

Hunter.  The  superstitious  and  cruel  practices  of  the 
mystery  lodge,  are  too  fearful  to  dwell  upon.  I  shall  only 
just  glance  at  them,  that  you  may  knovy,  in  some  degree, 
the  kind  of  trials  the  young  Indians  have  to  endure. 
While  the  bull  dances  were  going  on,  mystery  men,  inside 
the  lodge,  were  beating  on  the  water  sacks  with  sticks,  and 
animating  the  young  men  to  act  courageously,  telling  them 
that  the  Great  Spirit  was  sure  to  support  them.  Splints, 
or  wooden  skewers,  were  then  run  through  the  flesh  on  the 
back  and  breasts  of  the  young  warriors,  and  they  were 
hoisted  up,  with  cords  fastened  to  the  splints,  towards  the 
top  of  the  lodge.  Not  a  muscle  of  their  features  expressed 
fear  or  pain. 

Basil.  Shocking!  shocking! 

Brian.  That  must  be  very  bad,  indeed. 

Hunter.  After  this,  other  splints  were  run  through  their 
arms,  thighs,  and  legs  ;  and  on  these  were  hung  their  shields, 
arms,  and  medicine  bags.  In  this  situation  they  were 
taunted,  and  turned  round  with  poles  till  they  fainted  ;  and 
when,  on  being  let  down  again,  they  recovered,  each  of 
them  had  the  little  finger  of  his  left  hand  chopped  off  on  the 
skull  of  a  buffalo.  After  this,  they  were  hurried  along 
between  strong  and  fleet  runners :  this  was  called  "  the  last 
race,"  round  and  round  the  Great  Canoe,  till  the  weight  of 
their  arms  having  pulled  the  splints  from  their  bodies,  they 
once  more  fainted,  and  in  this  state,  apparently  dead,  they 
were  left  to  themselves,  to  live  or  die,  as  the  Great  Spirit 
might  determine. 

Y  16* 


186  INDiAN    SPEECHES. 

•Austin.  I  should  think  that  hardly  any  of  them  would 
ever  come  to  life  again. 

Hunter.  Nor  would  they,  under  common  circumstances  ; 
but,  when  we  consider  that  these  young  men  had  fasted  for 
four  days,  and  lost  much  blood  in  their  tortures,  there  was 
not  much  danger  of  inflammation  from  their  wounds,  and 
their  naturally  strong  constitutions  enabled  them  to  recover. 
All  these  tortures  were  willingly  undertaken  ;  nor  would  any 
one  of  those  who  endured  them,  on  any  account  whatever, 
have  evaded  them.  ,  To  propitiate  the  Great  Spirit,  and  to 
stand  well  in  the  estimation  of  his  own  tribe,  are  the  two 
highest  objects  in  the  mind  of  a  Red  Indian. 

Brian.  I  do  not  think  that  white  men  could  endure  so 
much. 

Hunter.  We  may  at  least  learn,  from  these  superstitious 
cruelties,  to  feel  shame  when  we  manifest  loss  of  temper 
and  want  of  patience,  under  our  lighter  trials.  Surely,  we 
should  blush,  with  all  our  advantages,  to  be  outdone  by  an 
unlettered  Indian.  The  pale  faces  ought  not  to  be  severe 
in  condemnation  of  red  men,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  super 
stition  ;  for  they  have  been  brought  up  in  ignorance  of 
better  things.  With  them,  revenge  is  virtue  ;  and  the  white 
man,  instead  of  teaching  them  better,  has  taken  advantage 
of  their  failings,  setting  them  one  against  another,  and  rob 
bing  them  and  oppressing  them  without  mercy. 

Austin.  I  should  like  to  be  a  friend  to  the  red  men. 

Hunter.  We  may  all  be  friends  to  them,  by  encouraging 
in  our  hearts  a  desire  to  serve  them,  and  by  putting  that 
desire  into  practice  whenever  we  have  the  opportunity.  I 
believe,  that  you  had  rather  pray  for  a  red  man  than  cheat 
him  of  his  lands,  and  would  send  him  a  Bible  rather  than  a 
tomahawk.  The  time  may  come,  when  he  will  be  better 
instructed,  forsaking  his  wild  superstitions,  and  embracing 
the  truths  of  Christianity.  Should  you  like  to  hear  two  or 
three  speeches  of  the  Red  Indians  ?  Many  of  them,  in  their 
wild  way,  are  very  eloquent. 

•ftustin.  The  very  thing.     That  will  just  please  me. 


SPECIMEN    OF    INDIAN    ELOQUENCE.    187 

Brian.  Yes  ;  I  shall  like  that  very  well. 

Basil.  And  I  too.  I  shall  fancy  them  dressed  up  in  all 
their  finery. 

Hunter.  I  will,  then,  first  read  to  you  a  specimen  of 
Indian  eloquence.  Logan,  the  celebrated  Indian  chief,  who 
had  long  been  a  zealous  partisan  of  the  English,  arid  had 
often  distinguished  himself  in  their  service,  was  taken  pris 
oner,  and  brought  before  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia, 
who  hesitated  whether  he  should  be  tried  before  a  court 
martial,  or  at  the  criminal  bar  for  high  treason.  Logan 
interrupted  their  deliberations,  and  stated  to  the  assembly 
that  they  had  no  jurisdiction  to  try  him  ;  that  he  owed  no 
allegiance  to  the  king  of  England,  being  an  Indian  chief, 
independent  of  every  nation.  In  answer  to  their  inquiries, 
as  to  his  motives  for  taking  up  arms  against  the  English,  he 
is  said  thus  to  have  addressed  the  assembly  : — 

"I  appeal  to  any  white  man,  to  say  if  ever  he  entered 
Logan's  cabin  hungry,  and  he  gave  him  not  meat ;  if  ever 
he  came  cold  and  naked,  and  he  clothed  him  not.  During 
the  course  of  the  last  long  and  bloody  war,  Logan  remained 
idle  in  his  cabin,  an  advocate  for  peace.  Such  was  my  love 
for  the  whites,  that  my  countrymen  pointed  as  they  passed, 
and  said,  <  Logan  is  the  friend  of  white  men.'  I  had  even 
thought  to  have  lived  with  you,  but  for  the  injuries  of  one 
man.  Colonel  Cresap,  the  last  spring,  in  cold  blood,  and 
unprovoked,  murdered  all  the  relations  of  Logan,  not  even 
sparing  my  women  and  children.  There  runs  not  a  drop 
of  my  blood  in  the  veins  of  any  living  creature.  This 
called  on  me  for  revenge.  I  have  sought  it :  I  have  killed 
many :  I  have  fully  glutted  my  vengeance.  For  my  coun 
try,  I  rejoice  at  the  beams  of  peace  :  but  do  not  harbour  a 
thought  that  mine  is-the  joy  of  fear.  Logan  never  felt  fear: 
he  will  not  turn  oji  his  heel  to  save  his  life.  Who  is  there 
to  mourn  for  Loga^  Not  one." 

This  pathetic  and  affecting  speech  touched  the  sensibility 
of  all  who  heard  him.  The  General  Assembly  applauded 
nis  noble  sentiments,  and  immediately  set  him  at  liberty. 


188    ADDRESS    OF    THE    SENECA    INDIANS. 

Every  family  in  Virginia  vied  with  each  other  which  should 
entertain  him  the  best,  or  show  him  the  most  respect ;  arid 
he  returned  to  his  native  country,  loaded  with  presents  and 
honours. 

•ftustin.  That  is  a  famous  speech,  however. 

Brian.  Poor  Logan  !     I  am  glad  he  was  set  at  liberty. 

Basil.  And  so  am  I. 

Hunter.  Here  is  an  address  of  the  Seneca  Indians,  to 
Governor  Clinton,  that  I  have  in  print.  I  will  read  it  to  you. 

"  Father — We  feel  that  the  hand  of  our  God  has  long 
been  heavy  on  his  red  children.  For  our  sins,  he  has 
brought  us  low,  and  caused  us  to  melt  away  before  our 
white  brothers,  as  snow  before  the  fire.  His  ways  are  per 
fect  ;  he  regardeth  not  the  complexion  of  men.  God  is  ter 
rible  in  judgment.  All  men  ought  to  fear  before  him.  He 
putteth  down  and  buildeth  up,  and  none  can  resist  him. 

"  Father — The  Lord  of  the  whole  earth  is  strong ;  this  is 
our  confidence.  He  hath  power  to  build  up,  as  well  as  to 
put  down.  Will  he  keep  his  anger  forever  ?  Will  he  pursue 
to  destruction  the  workmanship  of  his  own  hands,  and  strike 
off  a  race  of  men  from  the  earth,  whom  his  care  had  so  long 
preserved  from  so  many  perils  ? 

"  Father — We  thank  you,  that  you  feel  anxious  to  do  all 
you  can  for  the  perishing  ruins  of  your  red  children.  We 
hope,  father,  you  will  make  a  fence,  strong  and  high, 
around  us,  that  the  wicked  white  men  may  not  devour  us 
at  once,  but  let  us  live  as  long  as  we  can.  We  are  persuaded 
you  will  do  this  for  us,  because  our  field  is  laid  waste  and 
trodden  down  by  every  beast ;  we  are  feeble,  and  cannot 
resist  them. 

"Father — We  are  persuaded  you  will  do  this,  for  the 
sake  of  our  white  brothers,  lest  God,  who  has  appeared  so 
strong  in  building  up  white  men  and  putting  down  Indians, 
should  turn  his  hand  and  visit  our  white  brothers  for  their 
sins,  and  call  them  to  an  account  for  all  the  wrongs  they 
have  done  them,  and  all  the  wrongs  they  have  not  prevented, 


ADDRESS   OF    THE    SENECA    INDIANS.    189 

that  it  was  in  their  power  to  prevent,  to  their  poor  red 
brothers,  who  have  no  helper." 

Brian.  I  like  those  speeches  very  much  indeed. 

Hunter.  The  following  is  an  address  of  the  chiefs  of  the 
same  people,  the  Seneca  tribe.  I  have  it,  you  see,  in  the 
same  printed  book. 

"  The  sachems,  chiefs,  and  warriors  of  the  Seneca  nation, 
to  the  sachems  and  chiefs  assembled  about  the  great  council 
fire  of  the  state  of  New  York. 

"  Brothers — As  you  are  once  more  assembled  in  council, 
for  the  purpose  of  doing  honour  to  yourselves  and  justice 
to  your  country,  we,  your  brothers,  the  sachems,  chiefs,  and 
warriors  of  the  Seneca  nation,  request  you  to  open  your 
ears,  and  give  attention  to  our  voice  and  wishes. 

"  Brothers — You  will  recollect  the  late  contest  between 
you  and  your  father,  the  great  king  of  England.  This  con 
test  threw  the  inhabitants  of  this  whole  island  into  a  great 
tumult  and  commotion,  like  a  raging  whirlwind,  which 
tears  up  the  trees,  and  tosses  to  and  fro  the  leaves,  so  that 
no  one  knows  from  whence  they  come,  or  where  they  will 
fall. 

"  Brothers — This  whirlwind  was  so  directed,  by  the  Great 
Spirit  above,  as  to  throw  into  our  arms,  two  of  your  infant 
children,  Jasper  Parrish  and  Horatio  Jones.  We  adopted 
them  into  our  families,  and  made  them  our  children.  We 
loved  them,  arid  nourished  them.  They  lived  with  us  many 
years.  At  length,  the  Great  Spirit  spoke  to  the  whirlwind ; 
and  it  was  still.  A  clear  and  uninterrupted  sky  appeared. 
The  path  of  peace  was  opened,  and  the  chain  of  friendship 
was  once  more  made  bright.  Then  those,  our  adopted 
children,  left  us  to  seek  their  relations.  We  wished  them 
to  remain  among  us,  and  promised,  if  they  would  return 
and  live  in  our  country,  to  give  each  of  them  a  seat  of  land, 
for  them  and  their  children  to  sit  down  upon. 

"Brothers — They  have  returned,  and  have  for  several 
years  past  been  serviceable  to  us  as  interpreters.  We 
still  feel  our  hearts  beat  with  affection  for  them,  and  now 


190  SPEECH     OF    A     WARRIOR. 

wish  to  fulfil  the  promise  we  made  them,  and  to  reward 
them  for  their  services.  We  have,  therefore,  mado  up  our 
minds  to  give  them  a  seat  of  two  square  miles  of  land,  lying 
on  the  outlet  of  Lake  Erie,  about  three  miles  below  Black 
Rock. 

"Brothers — We  have  now  made  known  to  you  our  minds. 
We  expect,  and  earnestly  request,  that  you  will  permit  our 
friends  to  receive  this  our  gift,  and  will  make  the  same  good 
to  them,  according  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  your  nation. 

"  Brothers — Why  should  you  hesitate  to  make  our  minds 
easy,  with  regard  to  this  our  request  ?  To  you  it  is  but  a 
little  thing ;  and  have  you  not  complied  with  the  request, 
and  confirmed  the  gift  of  our  brothers  the  Oneidas,  the 
Onondagas,  and  the  Cayugas,  to  their  interpreters  ?  and 
shall  we  ask,  and  not  be  heard  ? 

«  Brothers — We  send  you  this  our  speech,  to  which  we 
expect  your  answer  before  the  breaking  up  of  your  great 
council  fire." 

Austin.  They  seem  to  me  to  speak  as  well  as  white  men 
do.  How  I  should  like  to  hear  one  of  those  speeches  from 
a  noble  looking  chief,  with  his  robes  and  war-eagle  plumes, 
holding  in  his  hand  his  spear  or  his  bow  and  arrow  ! 

Hunter.  I  will  now  read  you  the  speech  of  a  warrior  to 
a  party  of  his  tribe,  who  were  with  him  among  the  whites, 
when  his  chief  died.  It  has  long  been  known  to  the  public. 

"  Do  not  grieve.  Misfortunes  will  happen  to  the  wisest 
and  best  of  men.  Death  will  come,  and  always  comes  out 
of  season.  It  is  the  command  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and.  all 
nations  and  people  must  obey.  What  has  passed,  and  can 
not  be  prevented,  should  not  be  grieved  for.  Be  not  dis 
couraged  or  displeased,  then,  that,  in  visiting  your  father 
here,  you  have  lost  your  chief.  A  misfortune  of  this  kind 
may  never  again  befall  you ;  but  this  would  have  attended 
you,  perhaps,  at  your  own  village.  Five  times  have  I 
visited  this  land,  and  never  returned  with  sorrow  or  pain. 
Misfortunes  do  not  flourish  particularly  in  our  path.  They 
grow  every  where.  What  a  misfortune  for  me,  that  I  could 


SPEECH    OF    RED    JACKET.  191 

not  have  died  this  day,  instead  of  the  chief  that  lies  before 
us  !  The  trifling  loss  my  nation  would  have  sustained  in 
my  death,  would  have  been  doubly  paid  for  by  the  honours 
of  my  burial.  They  would  have  wiped  off  every  thing 
like  regret.  Instead  of  being  covered  with  a  cloud  of  sor 
row,  my  warriors  would  have  felt  the  sunshine  of  joy  in 
their  hearts.  To  me  it  would  have  bee'n  a  most  glorious 
occurrence.  Hereafter,  when  I  die  at  home — instead  of  a 
noble  grave  and  a  grand  procession,  the  rolling  music  and 
the  thundering  cannon,  with  a  flag  waving  at  my  head — I 
shall  be  wrapped  in  a  robe,  an  old  robe,  perhaps,  and  hoisted 
on  a  slender  scaffold  to  the  whistling  winds,  soon  to  be  blown 
to  the  earth,  my  flesh  to  be  devoured  by  the  wolves,  and 
my  bones  rattled  on  the  plain  by  the  wild  beasts. 

"  Chief  of  the  soldiers — Your  labours  have  not  been  in 
vain.  Your  attention  shall  not  be  forgotten.  My  nation 
shall  know  the  respect  that  is  paid  over  the  dead.  When  I 
return,  I  will  echo  the  sound  of  your  guns." 

Austin.  Capital !  capital ! 

Hunter.  The  speech  about  to  be  given  you  must  be  the 
last.  It  is  said  to  have  been  spoken  by  the  chief  called 
Red  Jacket,  in  reply  to  a  missionary,  and  has  been  printe^ 
in  many  books. 

"Friend  and  brother — It  was  the  will  of  the  Great 
Spirit  that  we  should  meet  together  this  day.  He  orders 
all  things,  and  has  given  us  a  fine  day  for  our  council.  He 
has  taken  his  garment  from  before  the  sun,  and  caused  it  to 
shine  with  brightness  upon  us.  Our  eyes  are  opened,  that 
we  see  clearly;  our  ears  are  unstopped,  that  we  have 
been  able  to  hear  distinctly  the  words  you  have  spoken. 
For  all  these  favours  we  thank  the  Great  Spirit,  and  him 
only. 

"  Brother — Listen  to  what  we  say.  There  was  a  time 
when  our  forefathers  owned  this  great  island.  Their  seats 
extended  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun.  The  Great 
Spirit  had  made  it  for  the  use  of  Indians.  He  had  created 
the  buffalo,  deer,  and  other  animals,  for  food.  He  had 


192  SPEECH    OF    RED    JACKET. 

made  the  bear  and  the  beaver.  Their  skins  served  us  for 
clothing.  He  had  scattered  them  on  the  earth,  and  taught 
us  how  to  take  them.  He  had  caused  the  earth  to  produce 
corn  for  bread.  All  this  he  had  done  for  his  red  children, 
because  he  loved  them.  But  an  evil  day  came  upon  us. 
Your  forefathers  crossed  the  great  water,  and  landed  on  this 
island.  Their  numbers  were  small.  They  found  friends, 
and  not  enemies.  They  told  us  they  fled  from  their  own 
country  for  fear  of  wicked  men,  and  had  come  here  to  enjoy 
their  religion.  They  asked  for  a  small  seat.  We  took  pity 
on  them,  and  granted  their  request;  and  they  sat  down 
among  us.  We  gave  them  corn  and  meat ;  they  gave  us 
poison  in  return. 

"  The  white  people  had  now  found  our  country.  Tidings 
were  carried  back,  and  more  came  among  us.  Yet  we  did 
not  fear  them.  We  took  them  to  be  friends.  They  called 
us  brothers.  We  believed  them,  and  gave  them  a  larger  seat. 
At  length,  their  numbers  had  greatly  increased.  They 
wanted  more  land.  They  wanted  our  country.  Our  eyes 
were  opened,  and  our  minds  became  uneasy.  Wars  took  place. 
Indians  were  hired  to  fight  against  Indians,  and  many  of  our 
people  were  destroyed.  They  also  brought  strong  liquor 
among  us.  It  was  strong  and  powerful,  and  has  slain  thou 
sands. 

"  Brother — Our  seats  were  once  large,  and  yours  were 
small.  You  have  now  become  a  great  people  and  we 
have  scarcely  a  place  left  to  spread  our  blankets.  You 
have  got  our  country,  but  are  not  satisfied  ;  you  want  to 
force  your  religion  among  us. 

"Brother — Continue  to  listen.  You  say,  that  you  are 
sent  to  instruct  us  how  to  worship  the  Great  Spirit  agreea 
bly  to  his  mind ;  and,  if  we  do  not  take  hold  of  the  religion 
which  you  white  people  teach,  we  shall  be  unhappy  here 
after.  You  say  that  you  are  right,  and  we  are  lost.  How 
do  you  know  this  to  be  true  ?  We  understand  that  your 
religion  is  written  in  a  book.  If  it  was  intended  for  us  as 
well  as  you  why  has  not  the  Great  Spirit  given  to  us,  and 


SPEECH    OF    RED    JACKET.  193 

not  only  to  us,  but  why  did  he  not  give  to  our  forefathers, 
the  knowledge  of  that  book,  with  the  means  of  understand 
ing  it  rightly  ?  We  only  know  what  you  tell  us  about  it. 
How  shall  we  know  when  to  believe,  being  so  often 
deceived  by  the  white  people  ? 

"Brother — You  say,  there  is  but  one  way  to  worship  and 
serve  the  Great  Spirit.  If  there  is  but  one  religion,  why 
do  you  white  people  differ  so  much  about  it  ?  Why  not  all 
agreed,  as  you  can  all  read  the  book  ? 

"  Brother — We  do  not  understand  these  things.  We  are 
told  that  your  religion  was  given  to  your  forefathers,  and 
has  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son.  We  also  have 
a  religion,  which  was  given  to  our  forefathers,  and  was 
handed  down  to  their  children.  We  worship  in  that  way. 
It  teaches  us  to  be  thankful  for  all  the  favours  we  receive, 
to  love  each  other,  and  to  be  united.  We  never  quarrel 
about  religion. 

"  Brother — The  Great  Spirit  made  us  all ;  but  he  has 
made  a  great  difference  between  his  w^hite  and  red 
children.  He  has  given  us  different  complexions  and  dif 
ferent  customs.  To  you  he  has  given  the  arts.  To  these 
he  has  not  opened  our  eyes.  We  know  these  things  to  be 
true.  Since  he  "has  made  so  great  a  difference  between  us 
in  other  things,  why  may  we  not  conclude  that  he  has  given 
us  a  different  religion, according  to  our  understanding?  The 
Great  Spirit  does  right :  he  knows  what  is  best  for  his  chil 
dren.  We  are  satisfied. 

"  Brother — We  do  not  wish  to  destroy  your  religion,  or 
vake  it  from  you.  We  only  wish  to  enjoy  our  own. 

"  Brother — We  are  told  that  you  have  been  preaching  to 
the  white  people  in  this  place.  These  people  are  our  neigh 
bours.  We  are  acquainted  with  them.  We  will  wait  a 
little  while,  and  see  what  effect  your  preaching  has  upon 
them .  If  we  find  it  does  them  good,  makes  them  honest, 
and  less  disposed  to.  cheat  Indians ;  we  will  then  consider 
again  of  what  you  have  said. 

"Brother — You  have  now  heard  our  answer  to  your 
Z  17 


194  PROPER     MOTIVES. 

talk.  This  is  all  we  have  to  say  at  present.  As  we  are 
going  to  part,  we  will  come  and  take  you  by  the  hand,  and 
hope  the  Great  Spirit  will  protect  you  in  your  journey,  and 
return  you  safe  to  your  friends." 

•flustin.  I  could  not  have  believed  that  a  Red  Indian 
could  have  made  such  a  speech. 

Hunter.  You  see  by  this  speech,  how  deep  an  impression 
the  bad  conduct  of  the  whites  had  made  on  the  minds  of 
the  Indians ;  and  yet,  with  all  this,  there  is  a  spirit  of  for 
bearance  and  uprightness  in  the  remarks  of  Red  Jacket 
that  we  cannot  but  respect.  The  next  time  you  visit  me,  I 
shall  have  a  great  deal  to  tell  you  about  braves,  and  war 
parties,  and  encampments,  and  other  things.  In  th'j  mean 
time,  think  kindly  of  red  men,  and  learn  what  you  can 
from  them,  showing  as  much  patience,  courage,  and 
untiring  perseverance  in  the  discharge  of  your  duties,  as  they 
do  in  the  observance  of  their  superstitions.  Christians  ought 
not  to  come  behind  heathens  in  any  good  quality,  but  to  go 
before  them,  setting  them  an  example  ;  for,  where  much  is 
given,  much  will  be  required.  The  higher  the  motive,  the 
better  should  be  the  act.  Let  our  motive  be  the  good  of  our 
kind,  and  the  glory  of  the  Redeemer.  Had  this  been  the 
end  and  object  of  all  who  have  visited  North  America,  the 
red  man  would  not  have  had  the  reasons  he  now  has  to  look 
on  white  men  with  suspicion  arid  hatred,  and  to  regard 
them  with  desire  of  revenge. 


A    WAR    PARTY. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Poisoned  arrows — Poison  making — The  deadly  power  of  the  poison — 
Council  of  war — Enlisting — Preparation  for  battle — Indian  mode 
°f  fighting — A  war  party — A  night  march — A  surprise — A  village 
attacked — 'The  onset — The  resistance — The  retreat — False  alarms — 
Camanchee  war  party — Their  chief  in  full  dress,  on  his  war  horse — 
The  wounded  Crow  warriors — The  mystery  man — His  useless  at 
tempts  to  restore  the  wounded — Particulars  of  the  death  of  Oceola, 
the  Seminole  chief- — The  death  of  a  Christian. 


HE  .day  after  that  on 
which  Austin  and  his 
brothers  heard  from  the 
hunter  the  account  of  the  mys 
tery  lodge,  and  the  sufferings  of 
the  young  Mandans  before  they 
were  thought  equal  to  engage  in  a 
war  party,  two  or  three  little  acci 
dents  occurred.  In  the  first  place, 
Austin,  in  making  a  new  bow,  cut  a  deep  gash  in  his  fin 
ger:  and,  in  the  next,  Brian  and  Basil,  in  scrambling 
among  the  hedges  in  quest  of  straight  twigs  for  arrows,  met 

195 


196  POISONED    ARROWS. 

with  their  mishaps ;  for  Brian  got  a  thorn  in  his  thumb, 
while  Basil  had  a  roll  down  the  bank  into  a  dry  ditch. 

It  is  always  a  good  sign  in  young  people,,  when  they  put 
into  practice  any  real  or  supposed  good  quality  of  which 
they  hear  or  read.  The  patience  and  endurance  of  the 
young  Mandans  had  called  forth  high  commendations  from 
Austin,  and  it  was  evident,  in  the  affair  of  the  cut  finger, 
that  he  made  a  struggle,  and  a  successful  one  too,  in  con 
trolling  his  feelings.  With  an  air  of  resolution,  he  wrapped 
the  end  of  his  pocket  handkerchief  tightly  round  the  wound, 
and  passed  off  the  occurrence  as  a  matter  of  no  moment. 
Not  a  word  escaped  little  Basil  when  he  rolled  into  the 
ditch  ;  nor  Did  Brian  utter  a  single  "  oh  !"  when  the  thorn 
was  extracted  from  his  thumb. 

Then  again,  besides  these  acts  of  heroism,  some  very 
creditable  speeches  were  made  by  the  three  brothers,  espe 
cially  by  Austin,  who,  in  the  character  of  a  Red  Indian, 
feelingly  lamented  his  wrongs  in  being  driven  from  the 
hunting  grounds  of  his  fathers,  and  very  freely  and  indig 
nantly  condemned  the  white  man's  oppression  and  cruelty. 

"  You  may  depend  upon  it,"  said  Austin,  after  some 
conversation  with  Brian  and  Basil,  on  the  subject  of  the 
young  Mandans,  "  that  the  next  time  we  see  the  hunter,  we 
shall  hear  something  about  the  way  in  which  red  men  go 
to  war.  The  sham  fight,  and  the  preparation  of  the  young 
warriors,  will  be  followed  by  some  account  of  their  battles." 
In  this  shrewd  supposition  he  was  quite  correct ;  for,  when 
they  next  visited  the  cottage,  the  hunter  proposed  to  speak 
a  little  about  councils,  and  encampments,  and  alarms,  and 
surprises,  and  attacks.  The  conversation  was  carried  on  in 
the  following  manner. 

JLustin.  How  do  the  Indians  poison  their  arrows  ? 

Hunter.  By  dipping  the  point  of  the  arrow  head  into  the 
poison  prepared.  The  head  of  the  arrow,  as  I  told  you,  is 
put  on  very  slightly,  so  that  it  remains  in  the  wound  when 
the  arrow  is  withdrawn. 


INDIAN    MODE    OF    WARFARE.  197 

Brian.  Where  do  they  get  their  poison?  What  is  it 
made  of? 

Hunter.  No  doubt  there  is  some  difference  in  the  man 
ner  of  preparing  poison  among  the  different  tribes.  But, 
usually,  it  is,  I  believe,  composed  of  deadly  vegetable  sub 
stances,  slowly  boiled  together,  sometimes  mingled  with  the 
mortal  poison  of  snakes  and  ants.  This  is  prepared  with 
great  care.  Its  strength  is  usually  tried  on  a  lizard,  or 
some  other  cold-blooded,  slow-dying  animal.  It  is  rapid  in 
its  effects;  for,  if  a  fowl  be  wounded  with  a  poisoned  wea 
pon,  it  dies  in  a  few  minutes ;  a  cat  dies  in  five  minutes ; 
a  bison,  in  five  or  six ;  and  a  horse,  in  ten.  Jaguars  anct 
deer  live  but  a  short  time  after  they  are  thus  wounded.  If, 
then,  horses  and  bisons  are  so  soon  destroyed  by  the  poison, 
no  wonder  that  men  should  be  unable  to  endure  its  fatal 
effects.  Before  war  is  determined  on  among  the  Indians, 
a  council  is  held  with  great  solemnity.  The  chiefs,  and 
braves,  and  medicine  men  are  assembled.  Then  the  enlist 
ing  takes  place,  which  I  have  already  described ;  the  war 
dance  is  engaged  in ;  and  the  weapons  are  examined  and 
repaired.  The  chief,  arrayed  in  full  dress,  leads  on  his 
band.  They  march  with  silence  and  rapidity,  and  encamp 
with  great  caution,  appointing  sentinels  in  every  necessary 
direction.  Thus,  lurking, « skulking,  and  marching,  they, 
reach  the  place  of  their  destination.  Another  war  council 
is  held,  to  decide  on  the  mode  of  attack ;  and  then,  with 
rifles,  war  clubs,  scalping  knives,  and  bows  and  poisoned 
arrows,  they  fall  upon  their  unsuspecting  foes. 

Brian.  It  is  very  sad  to  fight  with  such  weapons  as 
poisoned  arrows. 

Hunter.  It  is  sad  to  fight  with  any  kind  of  weapons ; 
but,  when  once  anger  enters  the  heart,  and  the  desire  to 
shed  blood  is  called  forth,  no  mode  is  thought  too  cruel  that 
will  assist  in  obtaining  a  victory.  The  continual  warfare 
that  is  being  carried  on  between  Indian  tribes,  must  be 
afflictive  to  every  humane  and  Christian  spirit.  None  but 
the  God  of  peace  can  destroy  the  love  of  war  in  the  hearts 


198  A     WAR    PARTY. 

of  either  red  or  white  men.  Indians  fight  in  a  way  very 
different  to  civilized  people  ;  for  they  depend  more  on  cun 
ning,  stratagem,  and  surprise,  than  on  skill  and  courage. 
Almost  all  their  attacks  are  made  under  cover  of  night,  or 
when  least  expected.  A  war  party  will  frequently  go  great 
distances,  to  fall  upon  a  village  or  encampment  on  a  quarter 
most  accessible.  To  effect  their  object,  they  will  hide  for 
any  length  of  time  in  the  forest,  sleep  in  the  long  grass, 
lurk  in  the  ravine,  and  skulk  at  nightfall  around  the  place 
to  be  attacked. 
„  Austin.  Did  you  ever  go  out  with  the  Indians  to  fight  ? 

Hunter,  Yes.  For  some  time  I  was  treated  very  hospi 
tably  among  the  Crows,  near  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  and 
as  they  had  determined  to  go  on  one  of  their  war  parties, 
which  I  could  not  prevent,  I  resolved  to  go  along  with  them, 
to  watch  their  way  of  proceeding. 

•ftustin.  Do  tell  us  all  about  it. 

Hunter.  It  was  a  thoughtless  and  foolish  affair,  when  I 
was  young  and  rash ;  but  I  wished  to  be  a  spectator  of  all 
their  customs.  It  was,  as  I  said,  one  of  those  foolish  under 
takings  into  which  the  ardour  of  my  disposition  led  me, 
and  for  which  I  was  very  near  paying  the  price  of  my  life. 
A  council  was  held,  wherein  it  was  decided  to  send  a  strong 
-war  party  on  foot  to  surprise  a  Blackfoot  village.  Every 
stratagem  had  been  used  to  lull  the  enemy  into  security. 

Brian.  Ay  ;  that  is  just  like  the  Indians. 

Hunter.  The  red  pipe  was  sent  through  the  tribe,  for  the 
warriors  to  smoke  with  it,  much  after  the  manner  of  the 
Sioux ;  the  red  post  was  struck,  and  the  braves  and  atten 
dants  painted  their  faces.  When  the  plan  of  attack  was 
agreed  on,  every  warrior  saw  to  his  weapons ;  neither  bow 
nor  arrow,  war  club  nor  scalping  knife,  was  left  unexam- 
ined.  There  was  an  earnestness  in  their  preparation,  as 
though  they  were  all  animated  with  one  spirit ;  a  high- 
wrought  energy  was  visible  through  the  whole  tribe. 

Austin.  Ay ;  I  will  be  bound  for  it  they  would  fight  like 
lions. 


DESPERATE    RESISTANCE.  199 

Hunter.  It  was  some  time  after  sundown,  that  we  left 
the  village  at  a  quick  pace.  Runners  were  sent  out  in  all 
directions,  to  give  notice  of  an  enemy.  We  hastened  along 
a  deep  valley,  rounded  the  base  of  a  bluff,  and  entered  the 
skirt  of  a  forest,  following  each  other  in  files  beneath  the 
shadowy  branches.  We  then  passed  through  some  deep 
grass,  and  stole  silently  along  several  defiles  and  ravines. 
The  nearer  we  drew  to  the  Blackfoot  village,  the  more 
silently  and  stealthily  we  proceeded.  Like  the  panther, 
creeping  with  noiseless  feet  on  his  prey,  we  stole  along  the 
intricate  pathways  of  the  prairie  bottoms,  the  forest,  the 
skirt  of  the  river,  and  the  hills  and  bluffs.  At  last  we  made 
a  halt,  just  as  the  moon  emerged  from  behind  a  cloud. 

•Austin.  Then  there  was  terrible  work,  I  dare  say. 

Hunter.  It  was  past  midnight,  and  the  Blackfoot  village 
was  wrapped  in  slumber.  The  Crow  warriors  dispersed 
themselves,  to  attack  the  village  at  the  same  instant  from 
different  quarters.  The  leader  had  on  his  full  dress,  his 
medicine  bag,  and  his  head-dress  of  war-eagle  plumes.  All 
was  hushed  in  silence,  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  grave  ; 
when  suddenly  the  shrill  war-whistle  of  the  Crow  chief 
rung  through  the  Blackfoot  lodges,  and  the  wild  war-whoop 
burst  at  once  from  a  hundred  throats.  The  chief  was  in 
the  thickest  of  the  fight.  There  was  no  pity  for  youth  or 
age ;  the  war  club  spared  not,  and  the  tomahawk  was 
merciless.  Yelling  like  fiends,  the  Crow  warriors  fled  from 
hut  to  hut,  from  victim  to  victim.  Neither  women  nor 
children  were  spared. 

Brian.  Dreadful  !  dreadful ! 

Hunter.  Though  taken  thus  by  surprise,  the  Blackfoot 
braves,  in  a  little  time,began  to  collect  together,clutching  their 
weapons  firmly,  and  rushing  on  their  enemies,  determined 
to  avenge  their  slaughtered  friends.  The  panic  into  which 
they  had  been  thrown  subsided,  and  like  men  accustomed 
to  danger,  they  stood  not  only  in  self-defence,  but  attacked 
their  foes  with  fury. 


200   THE  CROW    AND   BLACKFOOT   INDIANS. 

•Austin.  I  wonder  that  every  one  in  the  Blackfoot  vil 
lage  was  not  killed. 

'  Hunter.  In  civilized  life,  this  would  very  likely  have 
been  the  case ;  but  in  a  savage  state,  men  from  their  child 
hood  are  trained  up  to  peril.  They  may  lie  down  to 
slumber  on  their  couches  of  skins,  but  their  weapons  are 
near  at  hand ;  and  though  it  be  the  midnight  hour  when  an 
attack  is  made  on  them,  and  though,  awoke  by  the  con 
fusion,  they  hear  nothing  but  the  war-cry  of  their  enemy, 
they  spring  to  their  feet,  snatch  up  their  arms,  and  rush  on 
to  meet  their  foes.  It  was  thus  with  the  Blackfoot  braves. 
Hand  to  hand,  and  foot  to  foot,  they  met  their  assailants  : 
brave  was  opposed  to  brave ;  and  the  horrid  clash  of  the 
War  club  and  the  murderous  death-grapple  succeeded  each 
other.  Even  if  I  could  describe  the  horrors  of  such  a 
scene,  it  would  not  be  right  to  do  so.  As  I  was  gazing  on 
the  conflict,  I  suddenly  received  a  blow  that  struck  me 
bleeding  to  the  ground.  You  may  see  the  scar  on  my 
temple  still.  The  confusion  was  at  its  height,  or  my  scalp 
would  have  been  taken. 

Brian.  How  did  you  get  away  ? 

Hunter.  Stunned  as  I  was,  I  recovered  my  senses  before 
a  retreat  took  place,  and  was  just  able  to  effect  my  escape. 
The  Crows  slaughtered  many  of  their  enemies;  but  the 
Blackfoot  warriors  and  braves  were  at  last  too  strong  for 
them.  Then  was  heard  the  shrill  whistle  that  sounded  a 
retreat.  With  a  dozen  scalps  in  their  possession,  the  Crows 
sought  the  shelter  of  the  forest,  and  afterwards  regained 
their  own  village. 

•ftustin.  Are  the  Crow  tribe,  or  the  Blackfoot  tribe  the 
strongest  ? 

Hunter.  The  Crow  Indians,  as  I  told  you,  are  taller  and 
more  elegant  men  than  the  Blackfeet ;  but  the  latter  have 
broader  chests  and  shoulders.  The  Blackfeet,  some  think, 
take  their  name  from  the  circumstance  of  their  wearing 
black,  or  very  dark  brown  leggings  and  mocassins.  Whether, 
as  a  people,  the  Crows  or  the  Blackfeet  are  the  strongest, 


A    CAMANCHEE    CHIEF.  201 

there  is  a  diversity  of  opinion.  The  Blackfeet  consist  of 
four  kinds,  or  families,  of  Indians — the  Blood,  the  Blackfoot, 
the  Peagan,  and  the  Small  Robes.  They  are  almost  always 
at  war  with  the  Crows. 

Austin.  What  battling  there  must  be  among  them ! 

Hunter.  Their  war  parties  are  very  numerous,  and  their 
encampments  are  very  large  :  and,  whether  seen  in  the  day, 
in  the  midst  of  their  lodges  ;  or  at  night,  wrapped  in  their 
robes,  with  their  arms  in  their  hands,  ready  to  leap  up  if 
attacked  by  an  enemy ;  they  form  a  striking  spectacle. 
Sometimes,  in  a  night  encampment,  a  false  alarm  takes 
place.  A  prowling  bear,  or.  a  strayed  horse,  is  taken  for  a 
foe ;  and  sometimes  a  real  alarm,  occasioned  by  spies 
crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees  up  to  their  very  encamp 
ment,  to  ascertain  their  strength.  On  these  occasions,  the 
shrill  whistle  is  heard,  every  man  springs  up  armed,  and 
rushes  forth,  ready  to  resist  his  assailing  enemy.  I  have 
seen  war  parties  among  the  Crows  and  Blackfeet,  the  Man- 
dans  and  Sioux,  the  Shawanees,  Poncas,  Pawnees,  and  Sem- 
inoles.  But  a  Camanchee  war  party,  mounted  on  wild 
horses,  with  their  shields,  bows,  and  lances,  which  I  once 
witnessed,  was  the  most  imposing  spectacle  of  the  kind  1 
ever  saw.  The  chief  was  mounted  on  a  beautiful  war  horse, 
wild  as  the  winds,  and  yet  he  appeared  to  manage  him 
with  ease.  He  was  in  full  dress,  and  seemed  to  have  as 
much  fire  in  his  disposition  as  the  chafed  animal  on  which 
he  rode.  In  his  bridle  hand,  he  clutched  his  bow  and  seve 
ral  arrows  ;  with  his  other  hand,  he  wielded  his  long  lance ; 
while  his  quiver  and  shield  were  slung  at  his  back,  and  his 
rifle  across  his  thigh. 

Austin.  I  can  see  him  now.  But  what  colour  was  his 
war  horse  ? 

Hunter.  Black  as  a  raven ;  but  the  white  foam  lay  in 
thick  flakes  on  his  neck  and  breast,  for  his  rider  at  every 
few  paces  stuck  the  sharp  rowels  of  his  Spanish  spurs  into 
his  sides.  He  had  a  long  flowing  mane  and  tail,  and  his  full 
and  fiery  eyes  seemed  ready  to  start  out  of  his  head  The 
2  A 


202  THE    MYSTERY    MAN. 

whole  Camanchee  band  seemed  ready  to  rush  into  any 
danger.  At  one  time,  they  were  flying  over  the  prairie  in 
single  file ;  and  at  another,  drawn  up  all  abreast  of  each 
other.  The  Camanchees  and  the  Osages  used  to  have  cruel 
battles  one  with  another.  The  Mandans  and  the  Riccarees, 
too,  were  relentless  enemies. 

Brian.  And  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  great  fighters,  for 
Black  Hawk  was  a  famous  fellow. 

Hunter.  Yes,  he  was.  I  have  never  told  you,  I  believe, 
how  the  medicine  man,  or  mystery  man,  conducts  himself 
when  called  in  to  a  wounded  warrior. 

Austin.  Not  a  word  of  it.  Please  to  tell  us  every 
particular. 

Hunter.  In  some  cases  cures  are  certainly  performed ;  in 
others,  the  wounded  get  well  of  themselves :  but,  in  most 
instances,  the  mystery  man  is  a  mere  juggler. 

Basil.  Now  we  shall  hear  of  the  mystery  man. 

Hunter.  The  Crow  war  party  that  I  joined,  brought 
away  two  of  their  wounded  warriors  when  they  retreated 
from  the  Blackfoot  village,  but  there  seemed  to  me  to  be 
no  hope  of  saving  their  lives.  However,  a  mystery  man 
was  called  on  to  use  his  skill. 

•Austin.  Ay;  I  want  to  know  how  the  mystery  man 
cures  his  patients. 

Hunter.  If  ever  you  should  require  a  doctor,  I  hope  you 
will  have  one  more  skilful  than  the  mystery  man  that  I  am 
going  to  describe.  The  wounded  warriors  were  in  ex 
tremity,  and  I  thought  that  one  of  them  was  dying  before 
the  mystery  man  made  his  appearance ;  but  you  shall  hear. 
The  wounded  men  lay  groaning  on  the  ground,  with 
Indians  round  them,  who  kept  moaning  even  louder  than 
they  did  ;  when  all  at  once,  a  scuffle  of  feet,  and  a  noise 
like  that  of  a  low  rattle,  were  heard. 

Austin.  The  mystery  man  was  coming,  I  suppose. 

Hunter.  He  was ;  and  a  death-like  silence  was  instantly 
preserved  by  all  the  attendant  Indians.  On  came  the  mys 
tery  man,  covered  over  with  the  shaggy  hide  of  a  yellow 


THE    CHIEF    OCEOLA.  203 

bear,  so  that,  had  it  not  been  that  his  mocassins,  leggings, 
and  hands  were  visible,  you  might  have  supposed  a  real 
bear  was  walking  upright,  with  a  spear  in  one  paw,  and  a 
rattle  formed  like  a  tambourine  in  the  other. 

Basil.  He  could  never  cure  the  dying  man  with  his 
tambourine. 

Hunter.  From  the  yellow  bear-skin  hung  a  profusion  of 
smaller  skins,  such  as  those  of  different  kinds  of  snakes^ 
toads,  frogs,  and  bats ;  with  hoofs  of  animals,  beaks  and 
tails  of  birds,  and  scraps  and  fragments  of  other  things ;  a 
complete  bundle  of  odds  and  ends.  The  medicine  man 
came  into  the  circle,  bending  his  knees,  crouching,  sliding 
one  foot  after  the  other  along  the  ground,  and  now  and 
then  leaping  and  grunting.  You  could  not  see  his  face,  for 
the  yellow  bear-head  skin  covered  it,  and  the  paws  dangled 
before  him.  He  shuffled  round  and  round  the  wounded 
men,  shaking  his  rattle,  and  making  all  kinds  of  odd  noises ; 
he  then  stopped  to  turn  them  over. 

•dustin.  He  had  need  of  all  his  medicine. 

Hunter.  Hardly  had  he  been  present  more  than  a  minute, 
before  one  of  the  men  died ;  and,  in  ten  minutes  more  his 
companion  breathed  his  last.  The  medicine  man  turned 
them  over,  shook  his  rattle  over  them,  howled,  groaned, 
and  grunted ;  but  it  would  not  do,  the  men  were  dead,  and 
all  his  mummery  would  not  bring  them  back  to  life  again  ; 
so,  after  a  few  antics  of  various  kinds,  he  shuffled  off  with 
himself,  shaking  his  rattle,  and  howling  and  groaning  louder 
than  ever.  You  may  remember,  that  I  told  you  of  the 
death  of  Oceola,  the  Seminole  chief:  he  who  struck  his 
dagger  through  the  treaty  that  was  to  sign  away  the 
hunting  grounds  of  his  tribe,  in  exchange  for  distant  lands. 

Austin.  Yes.  You  said  that  he  dashed  his  dagger  not 
only  through  the  contract,  but  also  through  the  table  on 
which  it  lay. 

Brian,  And  you  told  us  that  he  was  taken  prisoner  by 
treachery,  and  died  in  captivity. 

Hunter.    Now   I  will   tell  you  the  particulars  of  his 


204  DEATH    OF    OCEOLA. 

death;  for  I  only  said  before,  that  he  died  pillowed  on  the 
faithful  bosom  of  his  wife.  He  had  his  two  wives  with 
him  when  he  died,  but  one  was  his  favourite. 

•ftustin.  Please  to  let  us  know  every  thing  about  him. 

Hunter.  Finding  himself  at  the  point  of  death,  he  made 
signs  that  the  chiefs  and  officers  might  be  asssembled,  and 
his  wishes  were  immediately  complied  with.  The  next 
thing  he  desired  was,  that  his  war  dress,  that  dress  in  which 
he  had  so  often  led  his  tribe  to  victory,  might  be  brought  to 
him.  His  wife  waited  obediently  upon  him,  and  his  war 
dress  was  placed  before  him. 

Basil.  What  could  he  want  with  his  war  dress  when  he 
was  going  to  die  ? 

•Austin.  Wait  a  little,  Basil,  and  you  will  hear  all  about 
it,  1  dare  say. 

Hunter.  It  was  an  affecting  sight,  to  see  him  get  up  from 
his  bed  on  the  floor,  once  more  to  dress  himself  as  a  chief 
of  his  tribe,  just  as  if  he  was  about  to  head  an  expedition 
against  the  whites.  Well,  he  put  on  his  rich  mocassins, 
his  leggings  adorned  with  scalp-locks,  his  shirt,  and  his 
ornamental  belt  of  war.  Nor  did  he  forget  the  pouch  that 
carried  his  bullets,  the  horn  that  held  his  powder,  nor  the 
knife  with  which  he  had  taken  so  many  scalps. 

Brian.  How  very  strange,  for  a  dying  man  to  dres's 
himself  in  that  way. 

Hunter.  In  ail  this  he  was  as  calm  and  as  steady  as  though 
about  to  hunt  in  the  woods  with  his  tribe.  He  then  made 
signs,  while  sitting  up  in  his  bed,  that  his  red  paint  should 
be  given  him,  and  his  looking  glass  held  up,  that  he  might 
paint  his  face. 

Austin.  And  did  he  paint  his  face  himself? 

Hunter.  Only  one  half  of  it;  after  which  his  throat, 
neck,  wrists,  and  the  backs  of  his  hands  were  made  as 
red  as  vermilion  would  make  them.  The  very  handle  of 
his  knife  was  coloured  over  in  the  same  way. 

Basil.  What  did  he  paint  his  hands  and  his  knife 
handle  for? 


DEATH    OF    A    CHRISTIAN.  205 

Hunter.  Because  it  was  the  custom  of  his  tribe,  and  of 
his  fathers  before  him,  to  paint  themselves  and  their  weap 
ons  red,  whenever  they  took  an  oath  of  destruction  to  their 
enemies.  Oceola  did  it,  no  doubt,  that  he  might  die 
like  a  chief  of  his  tribe  ;  that  he  might  show  those  around 
him,  that  even  in  death,  he  did  not  forget  that  he  was  a 
Seminole  warrior.  In  that  awful  hour  he  put  on  his  splen 
did  turban  with  its  three  ostrich  feathers,  and  then,  being 
wearied  with  the  effort  he  had  made,  he  laid  down  for  a 
little  space  to  recover  his  breath  and  his  strength. 

Austin.  How  weak  he  must  have  been  ! 

Hunter.  In  a  short  time  he  rose  up  again,  sitting  in  his 
full  dress  like  the  leader  of  a  warlike  tribe,  and  calmly  and 
smilingly  extended  his  hand  to  the  chiefs  and  officers,  to  his 
wives  and  his  children.  But  this,  his  last  effort,  exhausted 
his  remaining  strength.  He  beckoned  his  wives  to  lower 
him^down  on  the  bed,  calmly  drew  his  scalping  knife  from 
its  sheath  under  his  war-belt,  where  it  had  been  placed,  and 
grasped  it  with  firmness  and  dignity.  With  his  hands 
crossed  on  his  manly  breast,  and  with  a  smile  on  his  face, 
he  breathed  his  last.  Thus  passed  away  the  spirit  of 
Oceola. 

Austin.  Poor  Oceola  !  He  died  like  a  chief,  at  last. 

Hunter.  He  did  :  and,  very  likely,  when  he  grasped  his 
scalping  knife,  before  his  last  breath  forsook  him,  some  glow 
ing  vision  of  successful  combat  was  before  him.  In  the  pride 
of  his  heart,  perhaps,  he  was  leading  on  his  braves  to 
mingle  in  the  clash  of  battle,  and  the  death-grapple  with  his 
enemies.  But  is  this  a  fit  state  of  mind  for  a  man  to  die 
in  ?  Much  as  we  may  admire  the  steady  firmness  and  un 
subdued  courage  of  an  Indian  warrior  in  death,  emotions 
of  pride  and  highmindedness,  and  thoughts  of  bloodshed 
and  victory,  are  most  unsuitable  to  a  dying  hour.  Humility, 
forgiveness,  repentance,  hope,  faith,  peace,  and  joy,  are 
right  in  such  a  season  ;  arid  the  time  will  no  doubt  come, 
when  Indians,  taught  better  by  the  gospel,  will  think  so  as 
well  as  ourselves.  With  Christian  hopes  before  us,  let  us 

18 


200 


DEATH     OF    A    CHRISTIAN. 


prepare  to  die  like  Christians.  "  Let  me  die  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his!"  Numb, 
xxiii.  10.  "Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright : 
for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace,"  Psa.  xxxvii.  37.  "  Yea, 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy 
staff  they  comfort  me,"  Psa.  xxiii.  4.  "  Our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ  hath  abolished  death  and  brought  life  and  immor 
tality  to  light  through  the  gospel/'  2  Tim.  i.  10.  "  Blessed 
are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord/'  Rev.  xiv.  13. 


MOUNTED   CHIEF. 

t 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A  treaty  of  peace — The  tomahawk  buried — Pipe  of  peace  dance — 
Assinneboin  chief— Tribes  who  shave  their  heads — Turning  in  the 
toes  in  walking — Names  of  women — Different  modes  of  building 
lodges — Buffalo  hunting  in  wolves'  skins — Begging  horses — Medi 
cine  rock — Hatching  thunder — Captain  Smith  saved  by  a  chiefs 
daughter — Horned  frogs — Mosquitoes — Salt  water  brooks. 

T  was  now  the  time  when  the  holi 
days  of  the  three  brothers  were  draw 
ing  to  a  close  ;  and  this  circumstance 
rendered  them  the  more  anxious  to 
secure  one  or  two  more  visits  to  the 
cottage,  before  they  settled  down  in 
right  earnest  to  their  books.  Brian 
and  Basil  talked  much  about  poisoned  arrows,  and  the 
mystery  man :  but  Austin's  mind  was  too  much  occupied 

207 


208  RECAPITULATION. 

with  the  Camanchee  chief  on  his  black  war-horse,  arid  the 
death  of  the  Seminole  chief  Oceola,  to  think  much  of  any 
thing  else.  He  thought  there  was  something  very  noble  in 
the  valour  of  the  chief  leading  on  his  tribe  to  conquest ;  and 
something  almost  sublime  in  a  warrior  dressing  himself  up  in 
his  war-dress  to  die.  Like  many  other  young  people  of  ardent 
dispositions,  he  seemed  to  forget,  that  when  a  victory  is  en 
joyed,  a  defeat  must  be  endured  ;  and  that  before  any  one  can 
rejoice  in  taking  a  scalp,  some  one  must  be  rendered  misera 
ble  by  losing  it.  The  remarks  of  the  hunter  respecting  the 
death  of  a  true  Christian,  had  not  been  made  altogether  in 
vain ;  yet  still  he  dwelt  on  the  image  of  Oceola  grasping 
his  scalping  knife,  crossing  his  hands  over  his  breast,  and 
dying  with  a  smile  on  his  countenance. 

On  their  next  walk  to  the  cottage,  the  way  was  beguiled 
by  Austin  endeavouring  to  call  to  mind  all  that  had  been 
told  them  on  their  last  visit ;  and,  to  do  him  justice,  he  ac 
quitted  himself  uncommonly  well.  It  is  true,  that  now  and 
then  his  brothers  refreshed  his  memory  on  some  points  which 
had  escaped  him  ;  but,  on  the  whole,  his  account  was  full, 
connected,  and  clear. 

"And  what  must  I  tell  you  now?"  said  the  hunter, 
as  soon  as  he  and  the  young  people  had  exchanged  saluta 
tions.  "Do  you  not  know  enough  about  the  Red  Indians  ?" 

To  this  inquiry,  Brian  replied  that  what  they  had  heard 
had  only  increased  their  curiosity  to  hear  more. 

"  Well ;  let  me  consider,"  said  the  hunter.  "  I  have  told 
you  about  the  different  tribes  of  the  Red  Indians,  and 
where  many  of  them  reside.  You  have  heard  about  their 
religion,  languages,  manners,  and  customs ;  their  villages, 
wigwams,  food,  dress,  arms,  and  musical  instruments. 
I  have  described  to  you  the  fur  trade ;  and  dwelt  on  the 
scenery  of  North  America,  the  mountains,  rivers,  lakes, 
prairies,  and  many  remarkable  places.  I  have  related  the 
adventures  of  Black  Hawk  and  Nikkanochee,  and  read  to 
you  the  speeches  of  several  chiefs.  And,  besides  these 
things,  you  have  had  a  tolerably  full  account  of  buffaloes, 


PIPE    OF    PEACE    DANCE.  209 

bears,  wild  horses,  wolves,  deer,  and  other  animals,  with 
the  manner  of  hunting  them ;  as  well  as  a  relation  of 
Indian  amusements,  dances,  sham  fights,  war  parties, 
encampments,  alarms,  attacks,  scalping,  and  retreats.  Let 
me  now,  then,  dwell  a  little  on  the  Red  Indian  way  of  con 
cluding  a  treaty  of  peace,  and  on  a  few  other  matters ; 
after  which,  1  will  conclude  with  the  best  account  I  can 
give  you,  of  what  the  missionaries  have  done  among  the 
different  tribes." 

Austin.  I  shall  be  very  sorry  when  you  have  told 
us  all. 

Brian.  And  so  shall  I :  for  it  is  so  pleasant  to  come  here, 
and  listen  to  what  you  tell  us. 

Hunter.  Oh,  we  shall  always  find  something  to  talk  of 
when  you  come,  no  doubt.  After  a  battle  has  been  fought, 
the  scalp  dance,  which  has  already  been  described,  is 
usually  performed,  the  women  holding  up  the  scalps  which 
have  been  taken. 

Basil.  I  do  not  like  that  scalp  dance  at  all. 

Hunter.  When  it  is  agreed  between  hostile  tribes  that  a 
treaty  of  peace  shall  be  made,  the  chiefs  and  medicine  men 
of  the  adverse  tribes  meet  together,  and  the  calumet,  or 
peace  pipe,  ornamented  with  eagle  quills,  being  produced, 
every  one  smokes  a  few  whiffs  through  it.  It  is  then  under 
stood  by  them  that  the  tomahawk  is  to  be  buried ;  which 
means  the  same  thing  as  when  we  say,  the  sword  of  war 
shall  be  put  in  its  scabbard.  The  pipe  of  peace  dance  is 
then  performed  by  the  warriors,  to  the  beat  of  the 
Indian  drum  and  rattle,  every  warrior  holding  his  pipe  in 
his  hand. 

Brian.  That  pipe  of  peace  dance  is  a  capital  dance,  for 
then  bloodshed  is  at  an  end. 

Hunter.  Unfortunately,  war  is  apt  soon  to  break  out 
again,  and  then  the  buried  tomahawk  becomes  as  busy  as 
ever. 

Austin.  Well,  I  do  like  the  Red  Indians,  in  spite  of  all 
their  faults ;  they  have  been  used  cruelly  by  the  whites 
2B  18* 


210  SPLENDOUR    OF    THE    CHIEFS. 

Hunter.  As  a  general  remark,  those  Indians  who  have 
had  least  to  do  with  civilized  life  are  the  most  worthy  of 
regard.  Such  as  live  near  white  men,  or  such  as  are 
frequently  visited  by  them,  seem  to  learn  quickly  the  vices 
of  others,  without  giving  up  their  own.  To  observe  the 
real  character  of  red  men,  it  is  necessary  to  trace  the  turn 
ings  and  windings  of  the  Yellow  Stone  River,  or  the  yet 
more  remote  sinuosities  of  the  Upper  Missouri.  The  nearer 
the  United  States,  the  more  servile  is  the  Indian  character ; 
and  the  nearer  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  more  independent 
and  open-hearted. 

Austin.  If  I  ever  go  among  the  red  men,  the  Yellow 
Stone  River,  or  the  Upper  Missouri,  will  be  the  place 
for  me. 

Hunter.  Many  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  near  the  Rocky 
Mountains  may  be  said  to  live  in  a  state  of  splendour. 
They  have  the  pure  air  of  heaven  around  them,  and  rivers 
abounding  in  fish.  The  prairie  yields  them  buffaloes  in 
plenty ;  and,  as  for  their  lodges  and  dress,  some  of  them 
may  be  called  sumptuous.  Sometimes,  twenty  or  thirty 
buffalo  skins,  beautifully  dressed,  are  joined  together  to 
form  a  covering  for  a  lodge ;  and  their  robes  and  different 
articles  of  apparel  are  so  rich  with  ermine,  the  nails  and 
claws  of  birds  and  animals,  war-eagle  plumes,  and  embroi 
dery  of  highly  coloured  porcupine  .quills,  that  a  monarch 
in  his  coronation  robes  is  scarcely  a  spectacle  more  im 
posing. 

Austin.  Ay,  I  remember  the  dress  of  Mah-to-toh-pa, 
"  the  four  bears,"  his  buffalo  robe,  his  porcupine  quilled 
leggings,  his  embroidered  buck-skin  moccassins,  his  otter 
necklace,  his  buffalo  horns,  and  his  splendid  head  dress  of 
war-eagle  plumes. 

Hunter.  In  a  state  of  war,  it  is  the  delight  of  a  chief  to 
leap  on  the  back  of  his  fiery  steed,  decorated  as  the  leader 
of  his  tribe,  and  armed  with  his  glittering  lance  and 
unerring  bow,  to  lead  on  his  band  to  victory.  In  the  chase, 
he  is  as  ardent  as  in  the  battle ;  smiling  at  danger,  he 


AN    ASSINNEBOIN    CHIEF.  211 

plunges,  on  his  flying .  steed,  among  a  thousand  buffaloes, 
launching  his  fatal  shafts  with  deadly  effect.  "Thus  has  the 
Indian  of  the  far  west  lived,  and  thus  is  he  living  still.  But 
the  trader,  and  the  gin  bottle,  and  the  carbine,  and  the 
white  man  are  on  his  track ;  and,  like  his  red  brethren  who 
once  dwelt  east  of  the  Mississippi,  he  must  fall  back  yet 
farther,  and  gradually  decline  before  the  approach  of 
civilization. 

•Austin.  It  is  a  very  strange  thing  that  white  men  will 
not  let  red  men  alone.  What  right  have  they  to  cheat  them 
of  their  hunting  grounds  ? 

Hunter.  I  will  relate  to  you  an  account,  that  appeared 
some  time  ago  in  most  of  the  newspapers,  of  an  Assinne- 
boin  chief,  who,  though  he  was  respected  by  his  tribe 
before  he  went  among  the  whites,  had  very  little  respect 
paid  to  him  afterwards. 

Brian.  I  hope  it  is  a  long  account. 

Hunter.  Not  very  long :  but  you  shall  hear.  "  In  order 
to  assist  the  officers  of  the  Indian  department,  in  their 
arduous  duty  of  persuading  remote  tribes  to  quit  their 
lands,  it  has.  been  found  advisable  to  incur  the  expense  of 
inviting  one  or  two  of  their  chiefs  three  thousand  or  four 
thousand  miles  to  Washington,  in  order  that  they  should 
see  with  their  own  eyes,  and  report  to  their  tribes,  the  irre 
sistible  power  of  the  nation  with  which  they  are  arguing. 
This  speculation  has,  it  is  said  in  all  instances,  more  or  less 
effected  its  object.  For  the  reasons  and  for  the  objects  we 
have  stated,  it  was  deemed  advisable  that  a  certain  chief 
should  be  invited  from* his  remote  country  to  Washington; 
and  accordingly,  in  due  time,  he  appeared  there." 

Austin.  Three  or  four  thousand  miles  !  What  a  distance 
for  him  to  go  ! 

Hunter.  "  After  the  troops  had  been  made  to  manoguvre 
before  him ;  after  thundering  volleys  of  artillery  had 
almost  deafened  him ;  and  after  every  department  had  dis 
played  to  him  all  that  was  likely  to  add  to  the  terror  and 
astonishment  he  had  already  experienced,  the  president,  in 


212  AN    ASSINNEBOIN    CHIEF. 

lieu  of  the  Indian's  clothes,  presented  him  with  a  colonel's 
uniform ;  in  which,  and  with  many  other  presents,  the 
bewildered  chief  took  his  departure." 

Brian.  He  would  hardly  know  how  to  walk  in  a 
colonel's  uniform. 

Hunter.  "  In  a  pair  of  white  kid  gloves ;  tight  blue  coat, 
with  gilt  buttons,  gold  epaulettes,  and  red  sash ;  cloth 
trowsers  with  straps ;  high-heeled  boots ;  cocked  hat,  and 
scarlet  feather ;  with  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  a  green  umbrella 
in  one  hand,  and  a  yellow  fan  in  the  other ;  and  with  the 
neck  of  a  whiskey  bottle  protruding  out  of  each  of  the  two 
tail-pockets  of  his  regimental  coat ;  this  f  monkey  that  had 
seen  the  world'  suddenly  appeared  before  the  chiefs  and 
warriors  of  his  tribe ;  and  as  he  stood  before  them  straight  as 
a  ramrod,  in  a  high  state  of  perspiration,  caused  by  the  tight 
ness  of  his  finery,  while  the  cool  fresh  air  of  heaven  blew 
over  the  naked,  unrestrained  limbs  of  the  spectators,  it  might, 
perhaps  not  unjustly,  be  said  of  the  costumes,  «  Which  is 
the  savage  ?'  In  return  for  the  presents  he  had  received, 
and  with  a  desire  to  impart  as  much  real  information  as 
possible  to  his  tribe,  the  poor  jaded  traveller  undertook  to  de 
liver  to  them  a  course  of  lectures,  in  which  he  graphically 
described  all  that  he  had  witnessed." 

•Austin.  An  Indian  in  white  kid  gloves,  blue  coat  high- 
heeled  boots,  and  cocked  hat  and  feather !  Why  his  tribe 
would  all  laugh  at  him  in  spite  of  his  lectures. 

Hunter.  "  For  a  while  he  was  listened  to  with  attention ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  minds  of  his  audience  had  received 
as  much  as  they  could  hold,  they  began  to  disbelieve  him. 
Nothing  daunted,  however,  the  traveller  still  proceeded." 

•ftustin.  I  thought  they  would  laugh  at  him. 

Hunter.  "He  told  them  about  wigwams,  in  which  a 
thousand  people  could  at  one  time  pray  to  the  Great  Spirit ; 
of  other  wigwams,  five  stories  high,  built  in  lines,  facing 
each  other,  and  extending  over  an  enormous  space  :  he  told 
them  of  war  canoes  that  would  hold  twelve  hundred 
warriors." 


HEAD-DRESS    OF    THE    CHIEFS  213 

•Austin.  They  would  be  sure  never  to  believe  him. 

Hunter.  "  Such  tales,  to  the  Indian  mind,  seemed  an 
insult  to  common  sense.  For  some  time  he  was  treated 
merely  with  ridicule  and  contempt ;  but,  when,  resolutely 
continuing  to  recount  his  adventures,  he  told  them  that  he 
had  seen  white  people,  who,  by  attaching  a  great  ball  to  a 
canoe,  could  rise  in  it  into  the  clouds,  and  travel  through 
the  heavens,  the  medicine,  mystery,  or  learned  men  of  his 
tribe  pronounced  him  to  be  an  imposter  ;  and  the  multitude 
vociferously  declaring  that  he  was  too  great  a  liar  to  live,  a 
young  warrior,  in  a  paroxysm  of  anger,  levelled  a  rifle  at 
his  head,  and  blew  his  brains  out/' 

Austin.  Well,  I  am  very  sorry  !  It  was  very  silly  to  be 
dressed  up  in  that  way ;  but  they  ought  not  to  have  killed 
him,  for  he  told  them  the  truth,  after  all. 

Brian.  I  could  never  have  thought  that  an  Indian  chief 
would  have  dressed  himself  in  a  blue  coat  and  gilt  buttons. 

Basil.  And,  then,  the  fan  and  green  umbrella  ! 

Austin.  Ay,  and  the  whiskey  bottles  sticking  out  of  his 
tail-pockets.  He  would  look  a  little  different  to  Mah- 
to-toh-pa. 

Hunter.  I  have  frequently  spoken  of  the  splendid  head 
dress  of  the  chiefs  of  some  tribes.  Among  the  Mandans, 
and  you  know  Mah-to-toh-pa  was  a  Mandan,  they  would 
not  part  with  one  of  their  head-dresses  of  war-eagle 
plumes  at  a  less  price  than  two  horses.  The  Konzas, 
Osages,  Pawnees,  Sacs,  Foxes,  and  loways  shave  their 
heads  ;  but  all  the  rest,  or  at  least  as  far  as  I  know  of  the 
Indian  tribes,  wear  long  hair. 

Brian.  Yes ;  we  remember  the  Crows,  with  their  hair 
sweeping  the  ground. 

Hunter.  Did  I  tell  you,  that  some  of  the  tribes  glue 
other  hair  to  their  own  to  make  it  long,  as  it  is  considered 
so  ornamental? 

Basil.  I  do  not  remember  that  you  told  us  that. 

Hunter.  There  are  a  few  other  things  respecting  the 
Indians  that  I  wish  to  mention,  before  I  tell  you  what  the 


214  MANNER    OF    WALKING. 

missionaries  have  done  among  them.  In  civilized  countries, 
people  turn  out  their  toes  in  walking ;  but  this  is  not  the 
case  among  the  Red  ftdians.  When  the  toes  are  turned 
out,  either  in  walking  or  running,  the  whole  weight  of  the 
body  falls  sadly  too  much  on  the  great  toe  of  the  foot  that 
is  behind,  and  it  is  mainly  owing  to  this  circumstance,  that 
so  many  have  a  deformity  at  the  joint  of  the  great  toe : 
when  the  foot  is  turned  in,  the  weight  of  the  body  is 
thrown  equally  on  all  the  toes,  and  the  deformity  of  the 
great  toe  joint  is  avoided. 

Austin.  What,  do  the  Red  Indians  know  better  how  to 
walk  than  we  do  !  If  theirs  is  the  best  way  to  walk,  why 
do  not  we  all  walk  so  ? 

Hunter.  I  suppose,  because  it  is  not  so  elegant  in  appear 
ance  to  walk  so.  -  But  many  things  are  done  by  civilized 
people  on  account  of  fashion.  Hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
females  shorten  their  lives  by  tight  lacing ;  but  the  Red 
Indians  do  not  commit  such  folly. 

Brian.  There  is  something  to  be  learned  from  Red 
Indians,  after  all. 

Hunter.  I  told  you  the  Crow  Indians  were  some  of  the 
finest  men  of  all  the  Indians ;  but  I  rather  think  that  the 
Osages  are  the  tallest.  Most  of  them  are  six  feet  high,  and 
some  of  them  nearly  seven. 

Austin.  They  must  be  fine  men,  indeed  !  Do  they  live 
near  the  Crows  ? 

Hunter.  Oh  no ;  at  least  a  thousand  miles  from  them. 
They  are  much  nearer  the  Konzas  and  the  Pawnee  Picts. 
They  inhabit  a  part  that  is  six  or  seven  hundred  miles 
nearer  the  Rocky  mountains  than  the  river  Mississippi.  I 
ibrget,  when  I  gave  you  the  names  of  several  remarkable 
men  among'the  tribes,  whether  I  gave  the  names  of  any  of 
the  women.  The  wife  of  the  chief  of  the  Ponca  tribe  was 
called  Hee-lah-dee,  "  the  pure  fountain ;"  and  one  of  the 
wives  of  his  son  went  by  the  name  Mong-shong-sha,  "  the 
bending  willow." 


BORROWING     HORSES.  215 

Basil.  Those  are  very  good  names  indeed.  The  Pure 
Fountain,  and  the  Bending  Willow. 

Hunter.  There  was  a  modest-looking  girl  among  the 
Crows,  named  Seet-se-be-a,  "the  mid-day  sun;"  and 
another  among  the  Shawnees,  called  Ka-te-quaw,  "  the 
female  eagle."  You  must  remember  that  the  Red  Indians 
build  their  lodges  in  different  ways  :  the  Mandan  and  Ric- 
caree  mode  is  to  cover  their  lodges  with  earth ;  the  Chippe- 
ways  roof  theirs  with  birch  bark ;  the  Pawnees  thatch  theirs 
with  prairie  grass  ;  and  the  Camanchees,  Crows,  and  Black- 
feet  cover  their  lodges  with  buffalo  skins. 

•Austin.  Yes ;  we  will  remember  that. 

Hunter.  Did  I  tell  you,  that  sometimes  the  Indians 
dressed  themselves  in  wolves'  skins,  and  crept  along 
on  their  hands  and  knees,  with  their  rifles,  till  they  could 
get  sufficiently  near  the  buffaloes  to  fire  at  them  ? 

Brian.  1  do  not  remember  that.     How  cunning  ! 

Hunter.  There  is  a  custom  among  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
that  I  do  not  think  I  spoke  of.  The  Sacs  are  better 
provided  with  horses  than  the  Foxes;  and  so,  when  the 
latter  go  to  war  and  want  horses,  they  go  to  the  Sacs  and 
beg  them.  After  a  time,  they  sit  round  in  a  circle,  and 
take  up  their  pipes  to  smoke,  seemingly  quite  at  their  ease  ; 
and,  while  they  are  whiffing  away,  the  young  men  of  the 
Sacs  ride  round  and  round  the  circle,  every  now  and  then 
cutting  at  the  shoulders  of  the  Foxes  with  their  whips, 
making  the  blood  start  forth.  After  keeping  up  this  strange 
custom  for  some  time,  the  young  Sacs  dismount,  and 
present  their  horses  to  those  they  have  been  flogging. 

Austin.  What  a  curious  custom !  I  should  not  much 
like  to  be  flogged  in  that  manner. 

Brian.  Nor  I  either.  Wliat  backs  they  must  have, 
after  being  flogged  in  that  way  ! 

Hunter.  There  is  a  certain  rock  which  the  Camanchees 
always  visit  when  they  go  to  war.  Putting  their  horses  at 
full  speed,  they  shoot  their  best  arrows  at  this  rock,  which 
they  consider  great  medicine.  If  they  did  not  go  through 


216  ANECDOTE     OF     CAPTAIN     SMITH. 

this  long  established  custom,  there  would  be  no  confidence 
among  them ;  but,  when  they  have  thus  sacrificed  their 
best  arrows  to  the  rock,  their  hope  and  confidence  are 
strong. 

Austin.  I  should  have  thought  they  would  have  wanted 
their  best  arrows  to  fight  with. 

Hunter.  The  Sioux  have  a  strange  notion  about 
thunder ;  they  say  that  the  thunder  is  hatched  by  a  small 
bird,  not  much  bigger  than  the  humming  bird.  There  is, 
in  the  Couteau  des  Prairies,  a  place  called  "  the  nest  of  the 
thunder ;"  and,  in  the  small  bushes  there,  they  will  have  it 
that  this  little  bird  sits  upon  its  eggs  till  the  long  claps  of 
thunder  come  forth.  Strange  as  this  tradition  is,  there 
would  be  no  use  in  denying  it ;  for  the  superstition  of  the 
Red  Indian  is  too  strong  to  be  easily  done  away  with. 
The  same  people,  before  they  go  on  a  buffalo  hunt,  usually 
pay  a  visit  to  a  spot  where  the  form  of  a  buffalo  is  cut  out 
on  the  prairie.  This  figure  is  great  medicine;  and  the 
hunt  is  sure  to  be  more  prosperous,  in  their  opinion,  after  it 
has  been  visited. 

Austin.  I  do  hope  that  we  shall  forget  none  of  these 
curious  things. 

Hunter.  Did  I  tell  you,  how  Captain  Smith,  an  English 
officer,  was  saved  from  a  cruel  death  by  a  chief's  daughter  ? 

Austin.  Not  a  word  about  it. 

Basil  I  have  never  heard  you  say  anything  about  it. 

Brian.  Nor  I.     Please  to  let  us  hear  the  account. 

Hunter.  Captain  Smith,  as  the  narrative  is  told,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  an  Indian  chief,  named  Opechancanough, 
who  having  tied  him  to  a  tree  was  about  to  despatch  him, 
when  Captain  Smith  by  producing  a  pocket  compass  and 
explaining  to  him  its  wonderful  properties  was  able  to  avert 
the  stroke  which  threatened  his  life.  He  was  afterwards  con 
ducted  to  the  king  Pow-ha-tan  ;  and  a  council  was  held,  in 
which,  after  many  speeches  being  made  by  the  chiefs,  it 
was  finally  determined  that  he  should  be  put  to  death. 

Basil.  How  did  they  mean  to  kill  him  ? 


ANECDOTE    OF    CAPTAIN    SMITH  217 


CAPTAIN    SMITH. 


Hunter.  By  striking  his  head  with  their  war  clubs, 
after  they  had  made  him  lay  it  down  on  a  big  stone. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  hope  of  escape  for  him.  He  was 
brought  to  the  place  of  execution,  and  commanded  to  lay 
his  head  on  the  stone ;  then  two  executioners,  with  their 
huge,  heavy  painted  war  clubs,  stood  over  him,  waiting  for 
the  signal  to  be  given  by  Povv-ha-tan  to  strike  the  fatal 
blow.  Already  had  their  brawny  arms  lifted  up  their 
massy  clubs,  and  in  a  few  moments  Captain  Smith  would 
have  been  no  more ;  when  Pocahontas,  the  favourite 
daughter  of  the  chief,  a  girl  of  about  twelve  or  thirteen 
years  of  age,  rushed  forward  and  threw  her  arms  round  the 
captain's  head,  to  protect  him  from  the  coming  blow.  This 
so  effected  the  chief,  Pow-ha-tan,  that  he  directly  com 
manded  the  executioners  to  retire,  and  granted  to  his  daugh 
ter  the  captain's  life. 

Basil.  Capital !  capital !  I  like  that  chief's  daughter 
very  much. 

Austin.  What  a  narrow  escape  it  was  !  Only  to  think  of 
war  clubs  being  lifted  up  to  kill  him  ! 

Hunter.  When  I  was  in  Texas,  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  Camanchees,  the  ground  was  so  parched,  and 
2  C  19 


218        ,  SCARCITY    OF     WATER. 

water  so  scarce,  that  often  and  often  I  drank  of  the  thick 
puddle  of  a  buffalo  wallow.  We  do  riot  value  as  we 
ought  to  do  the  common  blessings  of  which  we  partake. 
Water  is  one  of  them  ;  and  if  ever  you  are  so  tried  by  thirst 
as  to  be  obliged  to  drink  the  puddle,  half  water  and  half 
mud  and  filth,  in  which  buffaloes  have  been  turning  round, 
and  perhaps  lying,  day  after  day,  you  will  ever  after  set  a 
higher  value  on  clear  fresh  water,  and  be  more  thankful  to 
the  Giver  of  all  good  for  a  benefit  of  which  you  have  hith 
erto  thought  so  little. 

Basil.  I  could  never  drink  such  puddle  as  the  buffalo's 
wallow. 

Austin.  We  know  not  what  we  should  be  glad  to  drink, 
Basil,  if  we  were  in  a  burning  hot  country,  and  had  nothing 
else  to  wet  our  lips  with. 

Hunter.  On  several  occasions,  in  the  hot  regions  of  which 
I  spoke,  I  have  seen  horned  frogs  hopping  about.  Their 
horns  are  about  half  an  inch  long,  and  some  of  them  nearer 
an  inch,  and  quite  sharp  at  the  points.  I  dare  say  that  you 
would  consider  a  horned  frog  quite  a  curiosity. 

•ftustin.  Indeed  we  should.  When  I  go  among  the  Ca- 
mancfiees  I  shall  look  out  for  them. 

Basil.  And  remember  that  you  drink  heartily  at  one  of 
the  buffalo  puddle  wallows. 

Hunter.  Now  and  then  a  cool  clear  stream  is  seen, 
gliding  or  rippling  along  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine  ;  but, 
when  you  run  with  delight  to  quench  your  burning  thirst 
with  its  delicious  water,  you  find  it  so  salt  that  you  are 
obliged  to  spurt  it  out  of  your  mouth  again.  At  times,  you 
would  find  the  mosquitoes  try  you  as  much  as  the  heat  and 
the  want  of  water.  In  the  north,  beware  of  the  grizzly 
bear;  and,  in  the  south,  prepare  for  heat,  drought,  and 
mosquitoes.  You  cannot  see  the  Red  Indians,  in  their 
native  haunts,  without  painful  endurance  as  well  as  keen 
enjoyment.  The  prairie  teeming  with  fruits  and  flowers, 
the  deep  forests,  the  green  bluffs,  the  noble  rivers,  the  hospi 
tality  of  the  different  tribes  of  Indians,  the  novelty  of  their 


PREPARATION    FOR    DEATH. 


219 


appearance,  manners,  and  customs,  together  with  the 
delightful  views  that  frequently  burst  on  the  sight,  are 
sources  of  indescribable  pleasure ;  but,  to  partake  of  them, 
heat  and  cold,  hunger  and  thirst,  toil  and  danger,  must  be 
endured :  of  both  the  one  and  the  other  I  have  had  my 
share.  And  now,  though  I  still  love  to  recall  to  mind  the 
adventures  of  my  earlier  years,  and  the  goodness  of  God  in 
preserving  me  amid  so  many  perils,  I  wish  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  my  days  in  retirement  and  peace  ;  doing  what 
I  can  for  my  fellow  beings  around  me,  reading  and  medi 
tating  on  God's  holy  word,  preparing  for  my  latter  end,  and 
hopefully  looking  forward  to  a  glorious  resurrection  to 
eternal  life,  through  Him  who  died  for  sinners  on  the  cross ; 
believing,  as  I  do,  that  "  He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the 
uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  them,"  Heb.  vii.  25. 


ELIOT   PREACHING   TO   THE   INDIANS. 

CHAPTER  X\  I. 

Dreadful  ravages  of  the  small  pox — Loss  sustained  by  the  Mine- 
tereers,  Blackfeet,  Crows,  and  Crees — The  Mandan  people  all  de 
stroyed — Death  of  Mah-to-toh-pa,  "  the  four  bears'"1 — Attempts  to 
introduce  vaccination — Narrative  of  Mr.  Catlin — John  Eliot,  the 
Jirst  Protestant  missionary  among  the  Red  Indians — His  progress 
and  death — Brainerd ;  his  Christian  course  and  death — Character 
given  of  him — Letter  of  the  Oneida  chiefs — Speech  of  the  chief  Little 
Turtle — Missionary  trials — Slaughter  of  the  Christian  Indians 
— Kahkewaquonaby  and  Shaw  Wundais,  two  Chippeways,  visit 
England.  * 

NCE  more  Austin  and  his  brothers 
set  off,  with  a  long  afternoon  before 
them,    to     listen    to    the     hunter's 
account  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
missionaries  among  the  Red  Indians. 
On  this  occasion  they  paid  another 
visit  to   the   Red   Sand-stone  Rock 
by  the  river,  the  place  where  they  first  met  with  their  friend 
the  hunter.     Here  they  recalled  to  mind  all  fhe  circum 
stances  which  had  taken  place  at  the  spot,  and  agreed  that 
220 


DESTRUCTION    OF    THE    MANDANS.    221 

the  hunter,  in  saving  their  lives  by  his  timely  warning,  and 
afterwards  adding  so  much  as  he  had  done  to  their  informa 
tion  and  pleasure,  had  been  to  them  one  of  the  best 
friends  they  had  ever  known.  With  very  friendly  and 
grateful  feelings  towards  him,  they  hastened  to  the  cottage, 
when  the  Red  Indians,  as  usual,  became  the  subject  of  their 
conversation.  "And  now,'  said  Austin,  "we  are  quite 
ready  to  hear  about  the  missionaries." 

Hunter.  Let  me  speak  a  word  or  two  about  the  Indians, 
before  I  begin  my  account.  You  remember  that  I  told  you 
of  the  Mandans. 

•Austin.  Yes.  Mah-to-toh-pah  was  a  Mandan,  with  his 
fine  robes,  and  war-eagle  head-dress ;  the  rain-makers 
were  Mandans ;  also  the  young  warriors,  who  went 
through  so  many  tortures  in  the  mystery  lodge. 

Hunter.  Well,  I  must  now  tell  you  the  truth.  After  I 
left  the  Mandans,  great  changes  came  upon  them ;  and,  at 
the  present  time,  hardly  a  single  Mandan  is  alive. 

Austin.  Dreadful !  But  how  was  it  ?  What  brought  it 
all  about  ? 

Brian.  You  should  have  told  us  this  before. 

Hunter.  No.  I  preferred  to  tell  you  first  of  the  people 
as  they  were  when  I  was  with  them.  You  may  remember 
my  observation,  in  one  of  your  early  visits,  that  great 
changes  had  taken  place  among  them  ;  that  the  tomahawks 
of  the  stronger  tribes  had  thinned  the  others;  that  many 
had  sold  their  lands  to  the  whites,  and  retjred  to  the  west 
of  the  Mississippi ;  and  that  thousands  had  fallen  a  prey  to 
the  small  pox.  It  was  in  the  year  1838  that  this  dreadful 
disease  was  introduced  among  the  Mandans,  and  other 
tribes  of  the  fur  traders.  Of  the  Minetereers,  Blackfeet, 
Chayenees,  Crows,  and  Knisteneaux  or  Crees,  twenty-five 
thousand  perished ;  but  of  the  poor  Mandans,  the  whole 
tribe  was  destroyed. 

Brian.  Why  did  they  not  get  a  doctor;  or  go  out 
of  thsir  vHlage  on  to  the  wide  prairie,  that  one  might  not 
catch  the  disease  from  another  ? 

19* 


222  POSITION    OF    TRIBES. 

Hunter.  Doctors  were  too  far  off;  for  the  ravage  of  the 
disease  was  so  swift,  that  it  swept  them  all  away  in  a  few 
months.  Their  mystery  men  could  not  help  them;  and 
their  enemies,  the  Sioux,  had  war  parties  round  their 
village,  so  that  they  could  r\pt  go  out  to  the  wide  prairie. 
There  they  were,  dying  fast  in  their  village  ;  and  little  else 
was  heard,  during  day  or  night,  hut  wailing,  howling,  and 
crying  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  relieve  them. 

Jlustin.  And  did  Mah-to-toh-pah*,  "  the  four  bears/' 
die  too  ? 

Hunter.  Yes.  For,  though  he  recovered  from  the 
disease,  he  could  not  bear  up  against  the  loss  of  his  wives 
and  his  children.  They  all  died  before  his  eyes,  and 
he  piled  them'together  in  his  lodge,  and  covered  them  with 
robes.  His  braves  and  his  warriors  died,  and  life  had  no 
charms  for  him ;  for  who  was  to  share  with  him  his  joy  or 
his  grief?  He  retired  from  his  wigwam,  and  fasted  and 
prayed  six  days,  lamenting  the  destruction  of  his  tribe.  He 
then  crawled  back  to  his  own  lodge,  laid  himself  by  his 
dead  family,  covered  himself  with  a  robe,  and  died  like  an 
Indian  chief.  This  is  a  melancholy  picture ;  and  when  I 
first  heard  of  the  terrible  event,  I  could  have  wept. 

Austin.  It  was  indeed  a  terrible  affair.  Have  they  no 
good  doctors  among  the  Red  Indians  now  ?  Why  do  they 
not  send  for  doctors  who  know  how  to  cure  the  small  pox, 
instead  of  those  juggling  mystery  men  ? 

Hunter.  Mauy  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce 
vaccination  among  the  tribes ;  but  their  jealousy  and  want  of 
confidence  in  white  men,  who  have  so  much  wronged  them, 
and  their  attachment  to  their  own  customs  and  superstitions, 
have  prevented  those  attempts  from  being  very  successful. 
There  are  now  not  many  Indians  east  of  the  Mississippi ; 
most  of  them  have  moved  to  the  west  of  that  river.  As 
you  move  up  the  Mississippi,  the  Chickasaws,  the  Seminoles, 
the  Choctaws,  the  Creeks,  and  others,  are  westerly,  on  the 
Red  River  and  the  Arkansas  River.  Then  come  the  Chero- 
kees,  Shawnees,  Senecas,  Quapaws,  Oneidas,  and  Tuskaroras, 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  223 

the  Camanchees,  Pawnee  Picts,  Kiawees,  Wicos,  and  Sho- 
shonees  being  far  west,  nearer  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Austin.  Where  are  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ? 

Hunter.  Their  hunting  grounds  lie  between  the  rivers 
Mississippi  and  Missouri ;  while  eastward  are  those  of  the 
Winnebagoes  ;  and  northward  and  northwest,  the  Chippe- 
ways  and  Sioux.  On  the  Missouri,  and  other  rivers,  are 
the  Osages,  Kanzas,  Delawares,  Kickapoos,  Ottos,  Poncas, 
Pawneeloups,  Grand  Pawnees,  and  Pawnee  republics.  On 
the  Upper  Missouri,  northward,  are  the  Riccarees,  who  now 
have,  also,  the  Mandan  grounds.  Nearer  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains,  on  the  same  river,  are  the  Crows ;  next  to  them,  the- 
Shiennees;  while  further  to  the  north  may  be  found  the 
Blackfeet,  Blood  Indians,  Crees,  Ojibbeways,  and  Assinne- 
boins.  The  missionaries  are  mostly  among  the  tribes  on 
the  Red  River  and  the  lower  part  of  the  Mississippi,  such 
as  the  Chickasaws,  Seminoles,  Choctaws,  Cherokees,  Sene- 
cas,  and  others;  though  there  are  missionaries  to  more 
northerly  and  westerly  tribes.  Before  telling  you  about 
the  missionaries  let  me  read  you  a  short  passage  from 
Mr.  Catlin's  "Letters"  respecting  the  destruction  of  the 
buffaloes. 

Austin.  Do  so  by  all  means.  I  like  to  hear  about  the 
buffaloes. 

Hunter.  Mr.  Catlin  says  :  "  I  have  always  counted  my 
self  a  prudent  man,  yet  I  have  often  waked  (as  it  were)  out 
of  the  delirium  of  the  chase  (into  which  I  had  fallen,  as 
into  an  agitated  sleep,  and  through  which  I  had  passed  as 
through  a  delightful  dream),  where  to  have  died  would  have 
been  but  to  haye  remained,  riding  on,  without  a  struggle  or 
a  pang. 

"  In  some  of  these,  too,  I  have  arisen  from  the  prairie, 
covered  with  dirt  and  blood  having  severed  company  with 
gun  and  horse,  the  one  lying  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet 
from  me  with  a  broken  stock,  and  the  other  coolly  brousing 
on  the  grass  at  half  a  mile  distance,  without  man,  and  with 
out  other  beast  remaining  in  sight. 


224  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

"  For  the  novice  in  these  scenes  there  is  much  danger  of 
his  limbs  and  his  life,  and  he  finds  it  a  hard  and  a  desperate 
struggle  that  brings  him  in  at  the  death  of  these  huge  mon 
sters, 'except  where  it  has  been  produced  by  hands  that 
have  acquired  more  sleight  and  tact  than  his  own. 

"  With  the  Indian,  who  has  made  this  the  every  day 
sport  and  amusement  of  his  life,  there  is  less  difficulty  and 
less  danger  ;  he  rides  without  "  losing  his  breath,"  and  his 
unagitated  hand  deals  certainty  in  its  deadly  blows. 

"  The  laso  is  a  long  thong  of  rawhide,  of  ten  or  fifteen 
yards  in  length,  made  of  several  braids  or  twists,  and  used 
chiefly  to  catch  the  wild  horse,  which  is  done  by  throw 
ing  over  their  necks  a*  noose  which  is  made  at  the  end  of 
the  laso,  with  which  they  are  "choked  down.77  In 
running  the  buffaloes,  or  in  time  of  war,  the  laso,  drags 
on  the  ground  at  the  horse's  feet,  and  sometimes  several 
rods  behind,  so  that  if  a  man  is  dismounted,  which  is  often 
the  case,  by  the  tripping  or  stumbling  of  the  horse,  he  has 
the  power  of  grasping  to  the  laso,  and  by  stubbornly  hold 
ing  on  to  it,  of  stopping  and  securing  his  horse,  on  whose 
back  he  is  instantly  replaced,  and  continuing  on  in  the  chase. 

"  In  the  dead  of  the  winters,  which  are  very  long  and 
severely  cold  in  this  country,  where  horses  cannot  be  brought 
into  the  chase  with  any  avail,  the  Indian  runs  upon  the 
surface  of  the  snow  by  the  aid  of  his  snow  shoes,  which 
buoy  him  up,  while  the  great  weight  of  the  buffaloes,  sinks 
them  down  to  the  middle  of  their  sides,  and  completely 
stopping  their  progress,  ensures  them  certain  and  easy  vic 
tims  to  the  bow  or  lance  of  their  pursuers.  The  snow  in 
these  regions  often  lies  during  the  winter,  to  the  depth  of 
three  and  four  feet,  being  blown*  away  from  the  tops  and 
sides  of  the  hills  in  many  places,  which  are  left  bare  for  the 
buffaloes  to  graze  upon,  whilst  it  is  drifted  in  the  hollows  and 
ravines  to  a  very  great  depth,  and  rendered  almost  entirely 
impassable  to  all  these  huge  animals,  which,  when  closely 
pursued  by  their  enemies, endeavour  to  plunge  through  it,  but 
are  soon  wedged  in  and  almost  unable  to  move,  where  they 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  225 

fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  Indian,  who  runs  up  lightly  upon 
his  snow  shoes  and  drives  his  lance  to  their  hearts.  The 
skins  are  then  stripped  off,  to  be  sold  to  the  Fur  Traders, 
and  the  carcasses  left  to  be  devoured  by  the  wolves.  This 
is  the  season  in  which  the  greatest  number  of  these  animals 
are  destroyed  for  their  robes — they  are  most  easily  killed  at 
this  time,  and  their  hair  or  fur  being  longer  and  more 
abundant,  gives  greater  value  to  the  robe. 

"  The  Indians  generally  kill  and  dry  meat  enough  in  the 
fall,  when  it  is  fat  and  juicy,  to  last  them  through  the 
winter ;  so  that  they  have  little  other  object  for  this  unlimited 
slaughter,  amid  the  Qrihs  of  snow,  than  that  of  procuring 
their  robes  for  traffic  with  their  traders.  The  snow  shoes 
are  made  in  a  great  many  forms,  of  two  and  three  feet  in 
length,  and  one  foot  or  more  in  width,  of  a  hoop  or  hoops 
bent  around  for  the  frame,  with  a  netting  or  web  woven 
across  with  strings  of  raw  hide,  on  which  the  feet  rest,  and 
to  which  they  are  fastened  with  straps  somewhat  like  a 
skate.  With  these  the  Indian  will  glide  over  the  snow  with 
astonishing  quickness,  without  sinking  down,  or  scarcely 
leaving  his  track  where  he  has  gone. 

"  The  poor  buffaloes  have  their  enemy  man,  besetting 
and  beseiging  them  at  all  times  of  the  year,  and  in  all  the 
modes  that  man  in  his  superior  wisdom  has  been  able  to 
devise  for  their  destruction.  They  struggle  in  vain  to  evade 
his  deadly  shafts,  when  he  dashes  amongst  them  over  the 
plains  on  his  wild  horse — they  pluuge  into  the  snow-drifts 
where  they  yield  themselves  an  easy  prey  to  their  de 
stroyers,  and  they  also  stand  unwittingly  and  behold  him, 
unsuspected  under  the  skin  of  a  white  wolf,  insinuating 
himself  and  his  fatal  weapons  into  close  company,  when 
they  are  peaceably  grazing  on  the  level  prairies,  and  shot 
down  before  they  are  aware  of  their  danger. 

"  There  are  several  varieties  of  the  wolf  species  in  this 

country,  the  most  formidable  and  most  numerous  of  which 

are  white,  often  sneaking  about  in  gangs  or  families  of  fifty 

or  sixty  in  numl  ers,  appearing  in  distance,  on  the  green 

3D 


226  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

prairies  like  nothing  but  a  flock  of  sheep.  Many  of  these 
animals  grow  to  a  very  great  size,  being  I  should  think, 
quite  a  match  for  the  largest  Newfoundland  dog.  At  present, 
whilst  the  buffaloes  are  so  abundant,  and  these  ferocious 
animals  are  glutted  with  the  buffalo's  flesh,  they  are  harm 
less,  and  every  where  sneak  away  from  man's  presence ; 
which  I  scarcely  think  will  be  the  case  after  the  buffaloes 
are  all  gone,  and  they  are  left,  as  they  must  be,  with  scarcely 
anything  to  eat.  They  always  are  seen  following  about  in 
the  vicinity  of  herds  of  buffaloes  and  stand  ready  to  pick 
the  bones  of  those  that  the  hunters  leave  on  the  ground,  or 
to  overtake  and  devour  those  that  are  wounded,  which  fall 
an  easy  prey  to  them.  While  the  herd  of  buffaloes  are 
together,  they  seem  to  have  little  dread  of  the  wolf,  and 
allow  them  to  come  in  close  company  with  them.  The  In 
dian  then  has  taken  advantage  of  this  fact,  and  often  places 
himself  under  the  skin  of  this  animal,  and  crawls  for  half  a 
mile  or  more  on  his  hands  and  knees,  until  he  approaches 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  unsuspecting  group,  and  easily 
shoots  down  the  fattest  of  the  throng. 

"The  buffalo  is  a  very  timid  animal,  and  shuns  the 
vicinity  of  man  with  the  keenest  sagacity ;  yet,  when  over 
taken,  and  harrassed  or  wounded,  turns  upon  its  assailants 
with  the  utmost  fury,  who  have  only  to  seek  safety  in 
flight.  In  their  desperate  resistance  the  finest  horses  are 
often  destroyed  ;  but  the  Indian,  with  his  superior  sagacity 
and  dexterity  generally  finds  some  effective  mode  of  escape. 
(See  Engraving.) 

"  During  the  season  of  the  year  whilst  the  calves  are 
young,  the  male  seems  to  stroll  about  by  the  side  of  the 
dam,  as  if  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  young,  at  which 
time  it  is  exceedingly  hazardous  to  attack  them,  as  they  are 
sure  to  turn  upon  their  pursuers,  who  have  often  to  fly  to 
each  others  assistance.  The  buffalo  calf,  during  the  first 
six  months  is  red,  and  has  so  much  the  appearance  of  a  red 
calf  in  cultivated  fields,  that  it  could  easily  be  mingled  and 
mistaken  amongst  them.  In  the  fall,  when  it  changes  its 


227 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  229 

i 

hair  it  takes  a  brown  coat  for  the  winter,  which  it  always 
retains.  In  pursuing  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes  at  the  season 
when  their  calves  are  but  a  few  weeks  old,  I  have  often 
been  exceedingly  amused  with  the  curious  manoeuvres  of 
these  shy  little  things.  Amidst  the  thundering  confusion  of  a 
throng  of  several  hundreds  or  several  thousands  of  these  ani 
mals  there  will  be  many  of  the  calves  that  lose  sight  of  their 
dams  ;  and  being  left  behind  by  the  throng,  and  the  swift 
passing  hunters,  they  endeavour  to  secrete  themselves?  when 
they  are  exceedingly  put  to  it  on  a  level  prairie,  where 
nought  can  be  seen  but  the  short  grass  of  six  or  eight 
inches  in  height,  save  an  occasional  bunch  of  wild  sage,  a 
few  inches  higher,  to  which  the  poor  affrighted  things  will 
run,  and  dropping  on  their  knees,  will  push  their  noses 
under  itf  and  into  the  grass,  where  they  will  stand  for 
hours,  with  their  eyes  shut,  imagining  themselves  securely 
hid,  whilst  they  are  standing  up  quite  straight  upon  their 
hind  feet  and  can  easily  be  seen  at  several  miles  distance. 
It  is  a  familiar  amusement  for  us  accustomed  to  these  scenes, 
to  retreat  back  over  the  ground  where  we  have  just  escorted 
the  herd,  and  approach  these  little  trembling  things,  which 
stubbornly  maintain  th.eir  positions,  with  their  noses  pushed 
under  the  grass,  and  their  eyes  strained  upon  us,  as  we 
dismount  from  our  horses  and  are  passing  around  them. 
From  this  fixed  position  they  are  sure  not  to  move,  until 
hands  are  laid  upon  them,  and  then  for  the  shins  of  a 
novice,  we  can  extend  our  sympathy ;  or  if  he  can  preserve 
the  skin  on  his  bones  from  the  furious  buttings  of  his  head, 
we  know  how  to  congratulate  him  on  his  signal  success  and 
good  luck.  In  these  desperate  struggles,  for  a  moment,  the 
little  thing  is  conquered,  and  makes  no  further  resistance. 
And  I  have  often,  in  concurrence  with  a  known  custom  of 
the  country,  held  my  hands  over  the  eyes  of  the  calf,  and 
breathed  a  few  strong  breaths  into  its  nostrils ;  after  which 
I  have,  with  my  hunting  companions,  rode  several  miles 
into  our  encampment,  with  the  little  prisoner  busily  follow-" 
ing  the  heels  of  my  horse  the  whole  way,  as  closely  and  as 

20 


230  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

affectionately  as  its  instinct  would  attach  it  to  the  company 
of  its  dam ! 

«  This  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  things  that  I 
have  met  with  in  the  habits  of  this  wild  country,  and 
although  I  had  often  heard  of  it,  and  felt  unable  exactly  to 
believe  it,  I  am  now  willing  to  bear  testimony  to  the  fact, 
from  the  numerous  instances  which  I  have  witnessed  since 
I  came  into  the  country.  During  the  time  that  I  resided  at 
this  post,  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  on  my  way  up  the 
river,  I  assisted  (in  numerous  hunts  of  the  buffalo,  with  the 
Fur  Company's  men,)  in  bringing  in,  in  the  above  manner, 
several  of  these  little  prisoners,  which  sometimes  followed 
for  five  or  six  miles  close  to  our  horses'  heels,  and  even  into 
the  Fur  Company's  Fort,  and  into  the  stable  where  our 
horses  were  led.  In  this  way,  before  J  left  for  the  head 
waters  of  the  Missouri,  I  think  we  had  collected  about  a 
dozen,  which  Mr.  Laidlaw  was  successfully  raising  with 
the  aid  of  a  good  milch  cow,  and  which  were  to  be  com 
mitted  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Chouteau  to  be  transported  by  the 
return  of  the  steamer,  to  his  extensive  plantation  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Louis.* 

"  It  is  truly  a  melancholy  contemplation  for  the  traveller 
in  this  country,  to  anticipate  the  period  which  is  not  far 
distant,  when  the  last  of  these  noble  animals,  at  the  hands 
of  white  and  red  men,  will  fall  victims  to  their  cruel  and 
improvident  rapacity ;  leaving  these  beautiful  green  fields, 
a  vast  and  idle  waste,  unstocked  and  unpeopled  for  ages  to 
come,  until  the  bones  of  the  one  and  the  traditions  of  the 
other  will  have  vanished,  and  left  scarce  an  intelligible 
trace  behind.  » 

"  That  the  reader  should  not  think  me  visionary  in  these 
contemplations,  or  romancing  in  making  such  assertions,  I 

*The  fate  of  these  poor  little  prisoners  was  a  very  disastrous  one. 
The  steamer  having  a  distance  of  1600  miles  to  perform,  and  lying  a 
week  or  two  on  sand  bars,  in  a  country  where  milk  could  not  be  pro 
cured,  they  all  perished  but  one,  which  is  now  flourishing  in  the  exten 
sive  fielda  of  that  gentleman. 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  231 

arill  hand  him  the  following  item  of  the  extravagancies 
which  are  practised  in  these  regions,  and  rapidly  leading  to 
the  results  which  I  have  just  named. 

"  When  I  first  arrived  in  this  place  on  my  way  up  the 
river,  which  was  in  the  month  of  May,  in  1832,  and  had 
taken  up  my  lodgings  in  the  Fur  Company's  Fort,  Mr. 
Laidlaw,  of  whom  I  have  before  spoken,  and  also  his  chief 
clerk,  Mr.  Halsey,  and  many  of  their  men,  as  well  as  the 
chiefs  of  the  Sioux,  told  me,  that  only  a  few  days  before  I 
arrived,  (when  an  immense  herd  of  buffaloes  had  showed 
themselves  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  almost  black 
ening  the  plains  for  a  great  distance,)  a  party  of  five  or  six 
hundred  Sioux  Indians  on  horseback,  forded  the  river 
about  mid-day,  and  spending  a  few  hours  amongst  them, 
recrossed  the  river  at  sun-down  and  came  into  the  Fort  with 
fourteen  hundred  fresh  buffalo  tongues,  which  were 
thrown  down  in  a  mass,  and  for  which  they  required  but  a 
few  gallons  of  whiskey,  which  was  soon  demolished, 
indulging  them  in  a  little,  but  not  harmless  carouse. 

"  This  profligate  waste  of  the  lives  of  these  noble  and 
useful  animals,  when,  from  all  that  I  could  learn,  not  a  skin 
or  a  pound  of  the  meat  (except  the  tongues,)  was  brought  in, 
fully  supports  me  in  the  seemingly  extravagant  predictions 
that  I  have  made  as  to  their  extinction,  which  I  am  certain 
is  near  at  hand.  In  the  above  extravagant  instance,  at  a 
season  when  their  skins  were  without  fur  and  not  worth 
taking  off,  and  their  camp  was  so  well  stocked  with  fresh 
and  dried  meat,  that  they  had  no  occasion  for  using  the 
flesh  there  is  a  fair  exhibition  of  the  improvident  char 
acter  of  the  savagej  and  also  of  his  recklessness  in  catering 
for  his  appetite,  so  long  as  the  present  inducements  are  held 
out  to  him  in  his  country,  for  its  gratification. 

"  In  this  singular  country,  where  the  poor  Indians  have 
no  laws  or  regulations  of  society,  making  it  a  vice  or  an  im 
propriety  to  drink  to  excess,  they  think  it  no  harm  to- 
indulge  in  the  delicious  beverage,  as  long  as  they  are  able 
to  buy  whiskey  to  drink.  They  look  to  white  men  as  wiser 


232  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

than  themselves,  and  able  to  set  them  examples — they  see 
none  of  these  in  their  country  but  sellers  of  whiskey,  who 
are  constantly  tendering  it  to  them,  and  most  of  them  setting 
the  example  by  using  it  themselves ;  and  they  easily 
acquire  a  taste,  that  to  be  catered  for,  where  whiskey  is 
sold  at  sixteen  dollars  per  gallon,  soon  impoverishes  them, 
and  must  soon  strip  the  skin  from  the  last  buffalo's  back 
that  lives  in  their  country,  to  "  be  dressed  by  their  squaws" 
and  vended  to  the  Traders  for  a  pint  of  diluted  alcohol. 

"  From  the  above  remarks  it  will  be  seen,  that  not  only 
the  red  men,  but  red  men  and  white,  have  aimed  destruc 
tion  at  the  race  of  these  animals ;  and  with  them,  beasts 
have  turned  hunters  of  buffaloes  in  this  country,  slaying 
them,  however,  in  less  numbers, _and  for  far  more  laudable 
purpose  than  that  of  selling  their  skins.  The  white  wolves, 
of  which  I  have  spoken  in  a  former  epistle,  follow  the  herds 
of  buffaloes,  as  I  have  said,  from  one  season  to  another, 
glutting  themselves  on  the  carcasses  of  those  that  fall  by 
the  deadly  shafts  of  their  enemies,  or  linger  with  disease  or 
old  age  to  be  despatched  by  these  sneaking  cormorants,  who 
are  ready  at  all  times  kindly  to  relieve  them  from  the  pangs 
of  a  lingering  death. 

"  Whilst  the  herd  is  together,  the  wolves  never  attack 
them,  as  they  instantly  gather  for  combined  resistance, 
which  they  effectually  make.  But  when  the  herds  are 
travelling,  it  often  happens  that  an  aged  or  wounded  one, 
lingers  at  a  distance  behind,  and  when  fairly  out  of  sight 
of  the  herd,  is  set  upon  by  these  voracious  hunters,  which 
often  gather  to  the  number  of  fifty  or  more,  and  are  sure 
at  last  to  torture  him  to  death,  and  use  him  up  at  a  meal. 
The  buffalo  however,  is  a  huge  5nd  furious  animal,  and 
when  his  retreat  is  cut  off,  makes  desperate  and  deadly 
resistance,  contending  to  the  last  moment  for  the  right  of 
life — and- oftentimes  deals  death  by  wholesale,  to  his  canine 
assailants,  which  he  is  tossing  into  the  air  or  stamping  to 
death  under  his  feet. 

"  During  my  travels  in  these  regions,  I  have  several  times 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  233 

come  -across  such  a  gang  of  these  animals  surrounding  an 
old  or  a  wounded  bull,  where  it  would  seem,  from  appear 
ances,  that  they  had  been  for  several  days  in  attendance, 
and  at  intervals  desperately  engaged  in  the  effort  to  take 
his  life.  But  a  short  time  since,  as  one  of  my  hunting 
companions  and  myself  were  returning  to  our  encampment 
with  our  horses  loaded  with  meat,  we  discovered  at  a  dis 
tance,  a  huge  bull,  encircled  with  a  gang  of  white  wolves ; 
we  rode  upr  as  near  as  we  could  without  driving  them 
away,  and  being  within  pistol  shot,  we  had  a  remarkably 
good  view,  where  I  sat  for  a  few  moments  and  made  a 
sketch  in  my  note  book  ;  after  which,  we  rode  up  and  gave 
the  signal  for  them  to  disperse,  which  they  instantly  did, 
withdrawing  themselves  to  the  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty 
rods,  when  we  found,  to  our  great  surprise,  that  the  animal 
had  made  desperate  resistance,  until  his  eyes  were  entirely 
eaten  out  of  his  head — the  grizzle  of  his  nose  was  mostly 
gone — his  tongue  was  half  eaten  off,  and  the  skin  and 
the  flesh  of  his  legs  torn  almost  literally  into  strings.  In 
this  tattered  and  torn  condition,  the  poor  old  veteran  stood 
bracing  up  in  the  midst  of  his  devourers,  who  had  ceased 
hostilities  for  a  few  minutes,  to  enjoy  a  sort  of  parley, 
recovering  strength  and  preparing  to  resume  the  attack  in 
a  few  moments  again.  In  this  group,  some  were  reclining, 
to  gain  breath,  whilst  others  were  sneaking  about  and 
licking  their  chaps  in  anxiety  for  a  renewal  of  the  attack ; 
and  others,  less  lucky,  had  been  crushed  to  death  by  the  feet 
or  the  horns  of  the  bull.  I  rode  nearer  to  the  pitiable 
object  as  he  stood  bleeding  and  trembling  before  me,  and 
said  to  him,  "  Now  is  your  time,  old  fellow,  and  you  had 
better  be  off."  Though  blind  and  nearly  destroyed,  there 
seemed  evidently  to  be  a  recognition  of  a  friend  in  me,  as  he 
straightened  up,  and,  trembling  with  excitement,  dashed 
off  at  full  speed  upon  the  prairie,  in  a  staight  line.  We 
turned  our  horses  and  resumed  our  march,  and  when  we  had 
advanced  a  mile  or  more,  we  looked  back,  and  on  our  left, 

where  we  saw  again  the  ill-fated  animal  surrounded  by 
2E  20* 


234  JOHN    ELIOT. 

his  tormentors,  to  whose  insatiable  voracity  he  unquestion 
ably  soon  fell  a  victim." 

Brian.  This  is  very  interesting.  Now  tell  us  about 
the  missionaries  to  the  Indians. 

Austin.  Who  was  the  first  missionary  who  went  among 
them? 

Hunter.  I  believe  the  first  was  John  Eliot.  More  than  two 
hundred  years  ago,  a  body  of  pious  Englishmen  left  their 
native  land,  because  they  were  not  allowed  in  England 
peaceably  to  serve  God  according  to  their  consciences. 
They  landed  in  America,  having  obtained  a  grant  of  land 
there.  They  were  called  "Puritans,"  and  "Pilgrim 
Fathers."  It  is  certain,  that,  whatever  were  their  peculiar 
ities,  and  by  whatever  names  they  were  known,  the  fear  of 
God  arid  the  love  of  mankind  animated  their  hearts. 

Brian.  And  it  was  the  same  with  John  Eliot  ? 

Hunter.  It  was.  These  Pilgrim  Fathers,  seeing  that  the 
Indians  were  living  in  idleness,  cruelty,  and  superstition, 
were  desirous  to  instruct  them  in  useful  arts,  and  still  more 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord ;  and  John  Eliot,  who  had  left  Eng 
land  to  join  his  religious  friends  in  America,  was  the  first 
Protestant  missionary  among  the  Indians. 

Austin.  I  wonder  he  was  not  afraid  of  going  among 
them. 

Hunter.  He  that  truly  fears  God,  has  no  need  to  fear 
danger  in  the  path  of  duty.  John  Eliot  had  three  good 
motives,  that  girded  his  loins  and  strengthened  his  heart : 
the  first,  was  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  conversion  of  the 
poor  Indians ;  the  second,  was  his  love  of  mankind,  arid 
pity  for  such  as  were  ignorant  of  true  religion ;  and 
the  third,  was  his  desire  that  the  promise  of  his  friends  to 
spread  the  gospel  among  the  Red  Indians  should  be  fulfilled. 
It  was  no  light  task  that  he  had  undertaken,  as  I  will  prove 
to  you.  I  dare  say,  that  you  have  not  quite  forgotten  all 
the  long  names  that  I  gave  you.  Shon-ga-ton-ga-che^h- 
en-day,  "  the  horse  dung,"  was  one ;  and  Mah-to-rah-rish- 


ELIOT'S    LABOURS.  235 

'iee-6eh-ee-rak,  "  the  grizzly  bear  that  runs  wimout  regard," 
•vas  another. 

•flustin.  I  remember  your  telling  us  of  them;  and  I 
suppose  they  are  the  longest  words  in  the  world. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  give  you  two  words  in  one  of  the 
languages  that  John  Eliot  had  to  learn,  and  then,  perhaps, 
you  will  alter  your  opinion.  The  first  of  them  is  noorro- 
mantammoonkanunonnash,  which  means,  "  our  loves ;" 
and  the  second,  or  "our  questions,"  is  kummogokdonatto- 
ottammoctiteaongannunnonash. 

•Austin.  Why  that  last  word  would  reach  all  across  one 
of  our  copy  books. 

Basil.  You  had  better  learn  those  two  words,  Austin,  to 
begin  with. 

Brian.  Ay,  do,  Austin :  if  you  have  many  such  when 
you  go  among  the  red  men,  you  must  sit  up  at  night  to 
learn  what  you  have  to  speak  in  the  day. 

Austin.  No,  no  ;  I  have  settled  all  that.  I  mean  to- 
have  an  interpreter  with  me ;  one  who  knows  every  thing. 
Please  to  tell  us  a  little  more  about  Eliot. 

Hunter.  I  will.  An  author  says,  speaking  of  missiona 
ries,  "  As  I  hold  the  highest  title  on  earth  to  be  that  of  a 
servant  of  God,  and  the  most  important  employment  that 
of  making  known  to  sinners  the  salvation  that  God  has 
wrought  for  them,  through  his  Son  Jesus  Christ;  so  I 
cannqt  but  estimate  very  highly  the  character  of  an  humble, 
zealous,  conscientious  missionary.  Men  undertake,  endure, 
and  achieve  much  when  riches,  and  honours,  and  reputa 
tion  are  to  be  attained ;  but  where  is  the  worldly  reputa 
tion  of  him  who  goes,  with  his  life  in  his  hand,  to  make 
known  to  barbarous  lands  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation? 
Where  are  the  honours  and  the  money  bags  of  the 
missionary  ?  In  many  cases,  toil  and  anxiety,  hunger  and 
thirst,  reviling  and  violence,  danger  and  death  await  him ; 
but  where  is  his  earthly  reward  ?"  Eliot's  labours  were 
incessant ;  translating  not  only  the  commandments,  the 
Lord's  prayer,  and  many  parts  of  Scripture  into  the 


236  ELIOT'S    LABOURS. 

.ndian  languages,  but  also  the  whole  Bible.  This  was  the 
first  Bible  ever  printed  in  America. 

Basil.  Remember  that,  Brian  ! 

Hunter.  For  days  together  he  travelled  from  place 
to  place,  wet  to  the  skin,  wringing  the  wet  from  his 
stockings  at  night.  Sometimes  he  was  treated  cruelly 
by  the  sachems,  (principal  chiefs,)  sagamores,  (lesser  chiefs,) 
and  powows,  (conjurers,  or  mystery  men  ;)  but  though 
they  thrust  him  out,  and  threatened  his  life,  he  held  on  his 
course,  telling  them  that  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Great 
God,  and  feared  them  not.  So  highly  did  they  think  of  his 
services  in  England,  that  a  book  was  printed,  called  "  The 
Day-breaking,  if  not  the  Sun-rising  of  the  Gospel  with  the 
Indians  in  New  England;"  and  another,  entitled  "The 
Clear  Sunshine  of  the  Gospel  breaking  forth  upon  the 
Indians ;"  and  dedicated  to  the  parliament ;  in  order  that 
assistance  and  encouragement  might  be  given  him.  At  the 
close  of  a  grammer,  published  by  him,  he  wrote  the  words, 
"  Prayers  and  pains,  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  will  do 
any  thing." 

Brian.  I  should  think  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  men 
that  ever  lived. 

Hunter.  He  instituted  schools,  and  devoted  himself  to 
the  Christian  course  he  had  undertaken  with  an  humble  and 
ardent  spirit,  until  old  age  and  increasing  infirmities  render 
ed  him  too  feeble  to  do  as  he  had  done  before.  Even  then, 
he  catechised  the  negro  slaves  in  the  neighbourhood  around 
him;  and  took  a  poor  blind  boy  home  to  his  own  house, 
that  he  might  teach  him  to  commit  to  memory  some  of  the 
chapters  in  the  Bible.  Among  the  last  expressions  that 
dropped  from  his  lips  were  the  words,  "  Welcome  joy ! 
Pray !  pray !  pray  !"  This  was  in  the  eighty -sixth  year 
of  his  age.  No  wonder  he  should  even  now  be  re 
membered  by  us,  as  "the  apostle  of  the  Indians." 

Basil.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  told  us  about  him. 
What  a  good  old  man  he  was  when  he  died  ! 

Hunter.  There  were  many  good  men,  after  his  death, 


DAVID     BRAINERD.  237 

who  trod  as  closely  as  they  could  in  his  steps :  but  I  must 
not  stop  to  dwell  upon  them.  David  Brainerd,  however, 
must  not  be  passed  by  :  he  was  a  truly  humble  and  zealous 
servant  of  the  Most  High.  You  may,  indeed,  judge  of  his 
humility  by  the  following  extract  from  his  writings.  "  My 
soul  has,  for  a  long  time  past,  been  in  a  truly  pitiable  con 
dition.  Sometimes,  I  have  been  so  overwhelmed  with  a 
sense  of  my  insignificance  and  unworthiness,'  that  I  have 
been  ashamed  that  any,  not  excepting  the  meanest  of  my 
fellow  creatures,  should  so  much  as  spend  a  thought  about 
me.  Sometimes,  when  travelling  among  the  thick  brakes, 
I  have  wished  that,  like  them,  I  might  drop  into  everlasting 
oblivion.  Sometimes,  I  have  almost  resolved  never  again 
to  see  any  of  my  acquaintance,  thinking  I  could  not  hold 
up  my  face  before  them  ;  and  have  longed  for  the  remotest 
corner  on  earth,  as  a  retreat  from  all  my  friends,  that 
I  might  never  be  seen  or  heard  of  more.  Sometimes,  the 
consideration  of  my  ignorance  has  occasioned  me  great 
anxiety  and  distress:  but  my  soul  has,  in  a  particular 
manner,  been  full  of  anguish  from  fear,  and  guilt,  and 
shame  ;  because  I  had  ever  preached  the  gospel,  or  had  any 
thought  of  that  important  work.  Sometimes,  I  have  been 
in  deep  distress,  on  feeling  some  particular  corruption  rise 
in  my  breast,  and  swell  like  a  mighty  torrent ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  ten  thousand  sins  and  follies  presented  them 
selves  to  my  view,  in  all  their  native  blackness  and 
deformity.  Such  things  as  these  have  weighed  down  my 
soul,  combined  as  they  are  with  those  unfavourable  exter 
nal  circumstances  in  which  I  am  at  present  placed ;  desti 
tute  of  most  of  the  conveniences  of  life,  at  least  of  all  its 
pleasures ;  without  a  friend  to  whom  I  may  unbosom  my 
sorrows,  and  sometimes  without  a  place  of  retirement 
where  I  may  unburden  my  soul  before  God.'* 

Basil.  Poor  Brainerd  ! 
,  Brian.  Why,  he  was  just  such  another  as  Eliot. 

Hunter.  I  must  tell    you   of   a  strange    Indian  that 


238  AN  EXTRAORDINARY  CHARACTER. 

Brainerd  met   with ;   .the   following  is  the   account,   and 
I  think  it  will  much  interest  you. 

"In  this  part  of  the  country,  Brainerd  met  with  a 
zealous  reformer  of  the  Indian  religion,  or  rather  a  restorer 
of  what  he  considered  their  ancient  mode  of  worship. 
But  of  all  the  spectacles  he  ever  saw,  none  appeared 
so  horrible,  none  excited  such  images  of  terror  in  his  mind, 
none  corresponded  so  nearly  with  the  common  idea  of  the 
infernal  powers.  He  presented  himself  to  him  in  his 
priestly  garb,  consisting  of  a  coat  of  bear-skins  hanging 
down  to  his  toes,  a  bear-skin  cap  on  his  head,  and  a  pair 
of  bear-skin  stockings  on  his  feet ;  a  large  wooden  face, 
the  one  half  painted  black,  the  other  of  a  tawny  colour, 
like  the  Indians',  with  an  extravagant  mouth,  cut  ex 
tremely  awry.  In  his  hand  was  the  instrument  he  em 
ployed  for  music,  in  his  idolatrous  worship  :  it  was  a 
tortoise-sheh1  with  some  corn  in  it,  fixed  on  a  piece  of  wood 
for  a  handle.  As  he  came  forward,  he  beat  time  with  his 
rattle,  and  danced  with  all  his  might ;  but  allowed  no  part 
of  his  body,  not  even  his  fingers,  to  be  seen.  His  appear 
ance  and  gestures  were  so  unlike  all  that  was  human,  that 
when  he  carne  near,  Brainerd  could  not  help  shrinking  back 
with  horror,  though  it  was  then  noon-day,  and  he  knew 
perfectly  well  who  it  was.  It  appears  he  had  a  house,  in 
which  were  several  images,  and  the  ground  was  beaten 
almost  as  hard  as  a  rock  by  his  frequent  and  violent 
dancing.  Brainerd  conversed  with  him  about  the  princi 
ples  of  Christianity  :  some  of  them  he  liked ;  others  he 
disliked.  God,  he  said,  had  taught  him  his  religion ;  and 
he  never  would  relinquish  it :  he  was  anxious,  however,  to 
find  some  who  would  cordially  join  with  him  in  it,  for  the 
Indians  had  grown  very  careless  and  degenerate :  he  had 
thoughts,  therefore,  of  leaving  all  his  friends,  travelling 
abroad,  and  searching  for  some  who  would  unite  with  him ; 
for  he  believed  God  had  some  good  people  in  the  world, 
who  viewed  things  in  the  same  light  as  himself.  He  had 
not  always  felt  as  he  now  did :  formerly  he  was  like  the 

• 


ELIOT    AND    BRAINERD.  239 

otner  Indians  ;  but,  about  four  or  five  years  ago,  he  became 
greatly  distressed  in  his  mind  ;  he  could  no  longer  dwell 
among  his  countrymen,  but  retired  into  the  woods,  and 
lived  there  alone  tor  several  months.  At  length,  God 
comforted  his  heart,  and  showed  him  what  he  should  do 
Since  that  period,  he  had  known  God,  and  endeavoured  to 
serve  him ;  he  also  loved  all  men,  whoever  they  were,  in  a 
manner  he  never  did  before.  It  further  appeared,  from  the 
accounts  of  the  Indians  themselves,  that  he  was  a  great 
enemy  to  their  drinking  spirituous  liquors,  and  when 
he  could  not  dissuade  them  from  that  ruinous  practice,  he 
used  to  leave  them,  and  go  crying  into  the  woods.  Some 
of  his  sentiments,  indeed,  were  rational  and  just ;  and 
Brainerd  even  informs  us,  there  was  something  in  his 
temper  and  disposition  more  like  true  religion  than  anything 
he  ever  beheld  in  a  pagan.  He  appeared  to  be  sincere, 
honest,  and  conscientious,,  in  his  own  way;  and,  on  this 
account,  was  derided  by  his  countrymen  as  a  precise 
zealot,  who  made  a  needless  noise  about  religion." 

•Austin.  I  never  heard  of  a  stranger  man ;  and  yet  he 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  a  bad  man,  after  all. 

Basil.  No.  He  seems  to  have  been  much  better  than 
his  countrymen. 

Hunter.  Both  Eh'ot  and  Brainerd  did  a  great  deal 
of  good  among  the  Red  Indians  ;  the  language  of  Brainerd 
was,  "  Here  am  I,  Lord,  send  me ;  send  me  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth ;  send  n^e  to  the  rough,  the  savage  pagans  of  the 
wilderness  ;  send  me  from  all  that  is  called  comfort  on 
earth;  send  me  even  to  death  itself,  if  it  be  but  in  thy 
service,  and  to  extend  thy  kingdom." 

Brian.  1  hardly  know  whether  Eliot  was  the  best  man, 
or  Brainerd. 

Hunter.  They  were  very  unlike  in  one  thing;  for  Eliot 
lived  till  he  was  eighty-six  years  old ;  whereas  Brainerd 
died  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age.  But  though  so  young, 
it  is  said  of  him,  by  a  learned  and  good  man,  "  The  Life 
and  Diary  of  David  Brainerd  exhibits  a  perfect  pattern  of 


240  SPEECH    OF    LITTLE    TURTLE. 

the  qualities  which*  should  distinguish  the  instructor  of 
rude  and  barbarous  tribes;  the  most  invincible  patience 
and  self-denial,  the  profoundest  humility,  exquisite  pru 
dence,  indefatigable  industry,  and  such  a  devotedness 
to  God;  or  rather  such  an  absorption  of  the  whole  soul  in 
zeal  for  the  Divine  glory  and  the  salvation  of  men,  as 
is  scarcely  to  be  paralleled  since  the  age  of  the  apostles." 

Brian.  Then,  he  was  as  good  a  man  as  Eliot. 

Hunter.  I  will  read  you  an  extract  from  a  letter  written 
by  some  Oneida  chiefs,  by  which  you  will  see  that  the 
labours  of  these  good  men  were  not  in  vain. 

"  The  holy  word  of  Jesus  has  got  place  amongst  us,  and 
advances.  Many  have  lately  forsaken  their  sins  to  appear 
ance,  and  turned  to  God.  There  are  some  among  us  who 
are  very  stubborn  arid  strong ;  but  Jesus  is  almighty,  and 
has  all  strength,  and  his  holy  word  is  very  strong  too  : 
therefore  we  hope  it  will  conquer  and  succeed  more  and 
more.  We  say  no  more  ;  only  we  ask  our  fathers  to  pray 
for  us,  though  they  are  at  a  great  distance.  Perhaps,  by- 
and-by,  through  the  strength  and  mercy  of  Jesus,  we  sh»J1 
meet  in  his  kingdom  above.  Farewell. 

TAGAWAROW,  chief  of  the  Bear  tribe. 
SUGHNAGEAROT,  chief  of  the  Wolf  tribe. 
OJEKHETA,  chief  of  the  Turtle  tribe" 

Austin.  Why,  they  were  all  three  of  them  chiefs  ! 

Hunter.  The  speech  made  by  the  chief,  Little  Turtle,  at 
Baltimore,  on  his  way  to  see  the  president  of  the  United 
States,  will  interest  you.  Some  Quakers,  who  saw  him, 
told  him  that  the  habit  among  his  tribe  of  drinking  rum, 
prevented  them  from  doing  them  good. 

"  Brothers  and  friends — When  your  forefathers  first  met 
on  this  island,  your  red  brethren  were  very  numerous  ;  but, 
since  the  introduction  amongst  us  of  what  you  call 
spirituous  liquors,  and  what  we  think  may  justly  be,  called 
poison,  our  numbers  are  greatly  diminished.  It  has  de 
stroyed  a  great  part  of  your  red  brethren. 

"  My  friends  and  brothers — We  plainly  perceive  that  you 


SPEECH    OF    LITTLE    TURTLE.  241 

see  the  very  evil  which  destroys  your  red  brethren.  It  is 
hot  an  evil  of  our  own  making.  We  have  not  placed 
it  amongst  ourselves ;  it  is  an  evil  placed  amongst  us  by 
the  white  people  :  we  look  to  them  to  remove  it  out  of  the 
country.  We  tell  them,  <  Brethren,  fetch  us  useful  things  : 
bring  us  goods  that  will  clothe  us,  our  women,  and  our 
children  ;  and  not  this  evil  liquor,  that  destroys  our  health, 
that  destroys  our  reason,  that  destroys  our  lives.'  But  all 
that  we  can  say  on  this  subject  is  of  no  service,  nor  gives 
relief  to  your  red  brethren. 

"My  friends  and  brothers — I  rejoice  to  find  that  you 
agree  in  opinion  with  us,  and  express  an  anxiety  to  be,  if 
possible,  of  service  to  us,  in  removing  this  great  evil  out  of 
our  country ;  an  evil  which  has  had  so  much  room  in 
it,  and  has  destroyed  so  many  of  our  lives,  that  it  causes 
our  young  men  to  say, (  We  had  better  be  at  war  with  the 
white  people.  This  liquor  which  they  introduce  into  our 
country,  is  more  to  be  feared  than  the  gun  or  tomahawk.' 
There  are  more  of  us  dead  since  the  treaty  of  Greenville, 
than  we  lost  by  the  six  years'  war  before.  It  is  all  owing 
to  the  introduction  of  this  liquor  among  us. 

"  Brothers — When  our  young  men  have  been  out  hunt 
ing,  and  are  returning  home  loaded  with  skins  and  furs,  on 
their  way,  if  it  happens  that  they  come  where  this  whiskey 
is  deposited,  the  white  man  who  sells  it,  tells  them  to  take 
a  little  drink.  Some  of  them  will  say,  6  No  ;  I  do  not  want 
it.'  They  go  on  till  they  come  to  another  house,  where 
they  find  more  of  "the  same  kind  of  drink.  It  is  there 
offered  again ;  they  refuse  ;  and  again  the  third  time  :  but, 
finally,  the  fourth  or  fifth  time,  one  accepts  of  it,  and  takes 
a  drink,  and  getting  one  he  wants  another,  and  then 
a  third,  and  fourth,  till  his  senses  have  left  him.  After  his 
roason  comes  back  to  him,  when  he  gets  up  and  finds 
where  he  is,  he  asks  for  his  peltry.  The  answer  is,  <  You 
have  drunk  them.'  <  Where  is  my  gun  ?'  <  It  is  gone.' 
'Where  is  my  blanket?'  'It  is  gone.'  'Where  is  my 
shirt?'  '  You  have  sold  it  for  whiskey  !'  Now,  brothers, 
2  F  21 


242      PERSECUTION     OF     MISSIONARIES. 

figure  to  yourselves  what  condition  this  man  must  be  in 
He  has  a  family  at  home  ;  a  wife  and  children  who  stand 
in  need  of  the  profits  of  his  hunting.  What  must  be  their 
wants,  when  even  he  himself  is  without  a  shirt  ?" 

•Austin.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  good  sense  in  what 
Little  Turtle  said. 

Hunter.  The  war  between  England  and  America  made 
sad  confusion  among  the  Red  Indians,  and  the  missionaries 
too ;  for  it  was  reported  that  the  missionaries  were  joining 
the  French  against  the  English,  so  that  they  and  the  Indian 
converts  were  dreadfully  persecuted.  A  great  number  of 
the  latter  were  sheltered  in  a  workhouse  at  Lancaster,  but 
a  furious  mob  broke  open  the  workhouse,  and  murdered 
them  all. 

Brian.  Dreadful !  dreadful ! 

Hunter.  Colonel  de  Peyster,  who  was  then  the  English 
governor  at  Fort  Detroit,  suspected  the  Christian  Indians  of 
being  partisans  of  the  Americans,  and  the  missionaries  of 
being  spies ;  and  he  wished  the  Indians  favourable  to  him 
to  carry  them  all  oif.  Captain  Pipe,  a  Delaware  chief,  per 
suaded  the  half  king  of  the  Hurons  to  force  them  away. 
Persecution  went  on,  till  the  missionaries,  seeing  that  no 
other  course  remained,  they  being  plundered  without,  mercy, 
and  their  lives  threatened,  consented  to  emigrate.  They 
were  thus  compelled  to  quit  their  pleasant  settlement,  es 
corted  by  a  troop  of  savages  headed  by  an  English  officer. 
The  half  king  of  the  Hurons  went  with  them.  But  I  will 
read  you  an  account  of  what  took  place  after  they  reached 
Sandusky  Creek.  "Having  arrived  at  Sandusky  Creek, 
after  a  journey  of  upwards  of  four  weeks,  the  -half  king  of 
the  Hurons  and  his  warriors  left  them,  and  marched  into 
their  own  country,  without  giving  them  any  particular 
orders  how  to  proceed.  Thus  they  were  abandoned  in  a 
wilderness  where  there  was  neither  game  nor  provisions  of 
any  kind ;  such  was  the  place  to  which  the  barbarians  had 
led  them,  notwithstanding  they  had  represented  it  as  a 
perfect  paradise.  After  wandering  to  and  fro  for  some 


PERSECUTION    OF    MISSIONARIES.       243 

time,  they  resolved  'o  spend  the  winter  in  Upper  Sandusky; 
and,  having  pitched  on  the  most  convenient  spot  they  could 
find  in  this  dreary  region,  they  erected  small  huts  of  logs 
and  bark,jto  shelter  themselves  from  the  rain  and  cold. 
They  were  now,  however,  so  poor,  that  they  had  neither 
beds  nor  blankets ;  for,  on  the  journey,  the  savages  had 
stolen  every  thing  from  them,  except  only  their  utensils  for 
manufacturing  rnaple  sugar.  But  nothing  distressed  them 
so  much  as  the  want  of  provisions.  Some  had  long  spent 
their  all,  and  now  depended  on  the  charity  of  their  neigh 
bours  for  a  morsel  to  eat.  Even  the  missionaries,  who 
hitherto  had  uniformly  gained  a  livelihood  by  the  labour  of 
their  hands,  were  now  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  receiving 
support  from  the  congregation.  As  their  wants  were  so 
urgent,  Shebosh  the  missionary,  and  several  of  the  Christian 
Indians,  returned,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  their  settlements 
on  the  Muskingum,  to  fetch  the  Indian  corn  which  they 
had  left  growing  in  the  fields. 

"  Scarcely  had  the  congregation  begun  to  settle  in  San- 
dusky,  when  the  missionaries  were  ordered  to  go  and  ap 
pear  before  the  governor  of  Fort  Detroit.  Four  of  them, 
accompanied  by  several  of  the  Indian  assistants,  accordingly 
set  off  without  delay,  while  the  other  two  remained  with 
their  little  flock.  On  taking  their  departure,  they  experi 
enced  the  most  agonizing  sensations:  partly,  as  they  knew 
not  what  might  be  the  issue  of  the  journey ;  and  partly,  as 
they  were  obliged  to  leave  their  families  in  want  of  the 
common  necessaries  of  life.  As  they  travelled  chiefly  by 
land,  along  the  banks  of  Lake  Erie,  they  had  to  pass 
through  numerous  swamps,  over  large  inundated  plains, 
and  through  thick  forests.  But  the  most  painful  circum 
stance  was,  their  hearing  that  some  of  the  Indians,  who  had 
gone  to  Muskingum  to  fetch  corn,  had  been  murdered  by 
the  white  people ;  and  that  a  large  body  of  these  miscreants 
was  marching  to  Sandusky,  to  surprise  the  new  settlement. 
This  report,  indeed,  was  not  correct.  Shebosh  the  mission 
ary,  and  five  of  the  Christian  Indians,  were,  it  is  true, 


244       PERSECUTION    OF    MISSIONARIES. 

taken  prisoners  at  Shoenbrunn,  and  carried  to  Pittsburg. 
"The  others  returned  safe  to  Sandusky,  with  about  four 
hundred  bushels  of  Indian  corn,  which  they  had  gathered 
in  the  fields.  But  as  the  travellers  did  not  hear  a  correct 
statement  of  these  circumstances  until  afterwards,  they 
suffered  meanwhile  the  greatest  anxiety  and  distress. 

"Having  arrived  at  Detroit,  they  appeared  before  the 
governor,  in  order  to  answer  the  accusations  brought  against 
them,  of  holding  a  correspondence  with  the  Americans,  to 
the  prejudice  of  the  English  interest.  The  investigation, 
however,  was  deferred  till  Captain  Pipe,  their  principal 
accuser,  should  arrive.  A  circumstance  which  could  not 
but  give  them  much  uneasiness,  as  he  had  hitherto  shown 
himself  their  bitter  and  determined  enemy.  They  had  no 
friend  on  earth  to  interpose  in  their  behalf;  but  they  had  a 
Friend  in  heaven,  in  whom  they  put  their  trust :  nor  was 
their  confidence  in  Him  in  vain.  On  the  day  of  trial, 
Captain  Pipe,  after  some  ceremonies  had  passed  between 
him  and  Colonel  de  Peyster,  respecting  the  scalps  and 
prisoners  which  he  had  brought  from  the  United  States,  rose 
and  addressed  the  governor  as  follows: — <  Father — You 
commanded  us  to  bring  the  believing  Indians  and  their 
teachers  from  the  Muskingum.  This  has  been  done. 
When  we  had  brought  them  to  Sandusky,  you  ordered  us 
to  bring  their  teachers  and  some  of  their  chiefs  unto  you. 
Here  you  see  them  before  you.  Now  you  may  speak 
with  them  yourself,  as  you  have  desired.  But  I  hope  you 
will  speak  good  words  unto  them :  yea,  I  tell  you,  speak 
good  words  unto  them;  for  they  are  my  friends,  and  I 
should  be  sorry  to  see  them  ill  used.'  These  last  words  he 
repeated  two  or  three  times.  In  reply  to  this  speech,  the 
governor  enumerated  the  various  complaints  he  had  made 
against  the  brethren,  and  called  upon  him  to  prove  that  they 
had  actually  corresponded  with  the  Americans,  to  the  pre 
judice  of  the  English.  To  this  the  chief -replied,  that  such 
a  thing  might  have  happened;  but  they  would  do  it  no 
more,  for  they  were  now  at  Detroit.  The  governor,  justly 


PERSECUTION    OF    MISSIONARIES.       245 

dissatisfied  with  this  answer,  peremptorily  demanded  that 
he  should  give  a  direct  reply  to  his  question.  Pipe  was 
now  greatly  embarrassed ;  and,  bending  to  his  counsellors, 
asked  them  what  he  should  say.  But  they  all  hung  their 
heads  in  silence.  On  a  sudden,  however,  he  rose,  and  thus 
addressed  the  governor  : — ( I  said  before  that  such  a  thing 
might  have  happened ;  now  I  will  tell  you  the  truth.  The 
missionaries  are  innocent.  They  have  done  nothing  of 
themselves;  what  they  did,  they  were  compelled  to  do.' 
Then,  smiting  his  breast,  he  added :  i  I  am  to  blame,  and 
the  chiefs  who  were  with  me.  We  forced  them  to  do  it 
when  they  refused;'  alluding  to  the  correspondence  between 
the  Delaware  chiefs  and  the  Americans,  of  which  the 
missionaries  were  the  innocent  medium.  Thus  the  brethren 
found  an  advocate  and  a  friend  in  their  accuser  and  enemy. 

"After  making  some  further  inquiries,  the  governor 
declared,  before  the  whole  camp,  that  the  brethren  were 
innocent  of  all  the  charges  alleged  against  them ;  that  he 
felt  great  satisfaction  in  their  endeavours  to  civilize  and 
Christianize  the  Indians ;  and  that  he  would  permit  them  to 
return  to  their  congregation  without  delay.  He  even 
offered  them  the  use  of  his  own  house,  in  the  most  friendly 
manner;  and  as  they  had  been  plundered,  contrary  to  his 
express  command,  he  ordered  them  to  be  supplied  with 
clothes,  and  various  other  articles  of  which  they  stood  in 
need.  He  even  bought  the  four  watches  which  the  savages 
had  taken  from  them,  and  sold  to  et  trader.  After  experi 
encing  various  other  acts  of  kindness  from  him,  they  re 
turned  to  Sandusky,  and  were  received  with  inexpressible 
joy  by  their  families  and  the  whole  congregation." 

•Austin.  Come,  I  am  glad  it  has  all  ended  so  well. 
Gaptain  Pipe  and  Colonel  de  Peyster  acted  an  unworthy 
part,  to  suspect  the  missionaries. 

Brian.  They  did;  but  the  colonel  declared  before  the 
whole  camp  that  they  were  innocent.  That  was  making 
some  amends  for  his  suspicions. 

21* 


246 


INDIANS     OF    THE     FAxt     WEST. 


Basil.  Captain  Pipe  ought  to  have  been  ashamed  of 
himself. 

Hunter.  The  missionaries  went  through  varied  trials, 
and  nearly  a  hundred  Christian  Indians — men,  women,  and 
children — were  cruelly  slaughtered;  but  afterwards  missions 
began  to  wear  a  more  prosperous  appearance.  Some  time 
ago,  Kahkewaquonaby,  a  Chippeway,  visited  England,  and 
spoke  very  eloquently  at  many  public  Christian  assemblies. 
Shaw  Wundais,  otherwise  John  Sunday,  a  Chippeway 
chief,  came  also,  and  seemed  to  be  a  humble  minded  and 
zealous  Christian.  But  I  have  now  kept  you  longer  than 
usual;  the  next  time  you  come  here,  I  will  finish  my 
missionary  account.  Though  among  the  tribes  near  the 
whites  great  changes  have  taken  place;  yet,  among  the 
Indians  of  the  far  west,  their  customs  are  but  little  altered. 
They  join  in  the  buffalo  hunt,  assemble  in  the  war  party 
engage  in  their  accustomed  games,  and  smoke  the  pipe  of 
peace,  the  same  as  ever. 


WAH-MENITU. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Trade  of  the  Indians — Visit  of  Mr.  Catlin  to  the  Pawnees — Council 
— Exchange  of  Prisoners. 

PON  the  first  pleasant  day  after 
their   last   interview,  the   boys 
made  another  visit  to  the  hun 
ter,  being  still  desirous  to  hear 
more  of  his  interesting  accounts  of  the 
Indians.     They  were  anxious  to  learn 
further  particulars  respecting  the  trade  of 
the  Indians  with  the  whites. 

Austin.  What  is  the  principal  object  of  the  trade  be 
tween  the  Indians  and  the  whites? 

Hunter.  The  most  valuable  article  which  the  Indians 
have  to  offer  is^  of  course,  the  furs  which  are  the  products 
of  their  hunting. 

247 


248  CATLIN'S     NARRATIVE. 

Brian.  What  do  they  obtain  in  exchange  for  these  ? 

Hunter.  Arms,  hatchets,  knives,  ammunition,  blankets 
and  articles  of  finery.  Some  of  them  discover  great  shrewd 
ness  in  bargaining,  and  are  excellent  judges  of  the  quality 
of  the  articles  offered  to  them.  Others  are  easily  deceived, 
and  make  what  to  us  would  seem  very  foolish  bargains. 
Mr.  Catlin  relates  that  a  Carnanchee  offered  him  a  splendid 
horse  in  exchange  for  an  old  cotton  umbrella. 

Brian.  That  seems  a  foolish  bargain  indeed.  Can  you 
not  tell  us  something  more  of  Mr.  Catlin. 

Hunter.  I  will  read  to  you  one  of  his  letters  describing 
a  visit  to  the  Pawnees  and  the  recovery  of  Judge  Martin's 
son  from  captivity.  Mr.  Catlin  was  in  company  with  a 
regiment  of  American  dragoons  under  Colonel  Dodge. 

"  We  were  four  days  travelling  over  a  beautiful  country, 
most  of  the  way  prairie,  and  generally  along  near  the  base 
of  a  stupendous  range  of  mountains  of  reddish  *  granite,  in 
many  places  piled  up  to  an  immense  height  without  tree  or 
shrubbery  on  them;  looking  as  if  they  had  actually 
dropped  from  the  clouds  in  such,  a  confused  mass,  and  all 
lay  where  they  had  fallen.  Such  we  found  the  mountains 
enclosing  the  Pawnee  village,  on  the  bank  of  Red  River, 
about  ninety  miles  from  the  Camanchee  town.  The 
dragoon  regiment  was  drawn  up  within  half  a  mile  or  so 
of  this  village,  and  encamped  in  a  square,  where  we 
remained  three  days.  We  found  here  a  very  numerous 
village,  containing  some  five  or  six  hundred  wigwams,  all 
made  of  long  prairie  grass,  thatched  over  poles  which  are 
fastened  in  the  ground  and  bent  in  at  the  top;  giving 
to  them,  in  distance,  the  appearance  of  straw  beehives. 

"  To  our  very  great  surprise,  we  found  these  people  cul 
tivating  quite  extensive  fields  of  corn  (maize),  pumpkins, 
melons,  beans  and  squashes;  so,  with  these  aids,  and  an 
abundant  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  they  may  be  said  to  be 
living  very  well. 

"The  next  day  after  our  arrival  here,  Colonel  Dodge 
opened  a  council  with  the  chiefs,  in  the  chief's  lodge, 


INDIAN  PUR   TRADE. 


249 


CATKIN'S    NARRATIVE.  251 

where  he  had  the  most  of  his  officers  around  him.  He  first 
explained  to  them  the  friendly  views  with  which  he  came 
to  see  them ;  and  of  the  wish  of  our  Government  to 
establish  a  lasting  peace  with  them,  which  they  seemed  at 
once  to  appreciate  and  highly  to  estimate. 

"  The  head  chief  of  the  tribe  is  a  very  old  man,  and  he 
several  times  replied  to  Colonel  Dodge  in  a  very  eloquent 
manner  ;  assuring  him  of  the  friendly  feelings  of  his  chiefs 
and  warriors  towards  the  pale  faces,  in  the  direction  from 
whence  we  came. 

"After  Colonel  Dodge  had  explained  in  general  terms, 
the  objects  of  our  visit,  he  told  them  that  he  should  expect 
from  them  some  account  of  the  foul  murder  of  Judge 
Martin  and  his  family  on  the  False  Washita,  which  had 
been  perpetrated  but  a  few  weeks  before,  and  which  the 
Camanchees  had  told  us  was  done  by  the  Pawnee  Picts. 
The  Colonel  told  them,  also,  that  he  learned  from  the 
Camanchees,  that  they  had  the  little  boy,  the  son  of  the 
murdered  gentleman,  in  their  possession ;  and  that  he 
should  expect  them  to  deliver  him  up,  as  an  indispensable 
condition  of  the  friendly  arrangement  that  was  now 
making.  They  positively  denied  the  fact,  and  all  know 
ledge  of  it ;  firmly  assuring  us  that  they  knew  nothing  of 
the  murder,  or  of  the  boy.  The  demand  was  repeatedly 
made,  and  as  often  denied  ;  until  at  length  a  negro-man 
was  discovered,  who  was  living  with  the  'Pawnees,  who 
spoke  good  English ;  and  coining  into  the  council-house, 
gave  information  that  such  a  boy  had  recently  been  brought 
into  their  village,  and  was  now  a  prisoner  amongst  them. 
This  excited  great  surprise  and  indignation  in  the  council, 
and  Colonel  Dodge  then  informed  the  chiefs  that  the 
council  would  rest  here  ;  and  certainly  nothing  further  of  a 
peaceable  nature  would  transpire  until  the  boy  was  brought 
in.  In  this  alarming  dilemma,  all  remained  in  gloomy 
silence  for  awhile  ;  when  Colonel  Dodge  further  informed 
the  chiefs,  that  as  an  evidence  of  his  friendly  intentions 
towards  them,  he  had,  on  starting,  purchased  at  a  very 


252  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

great  price,  from  their  enemies  the  Osages,  two  Pawnee 
(and  one  Kiowa)  girls  ;  which  had  been  held  by  them  for 
some  years  as  prisoners,  and  which  he  had  brought  the 
whole  way  home,  and  had  here  ready  to  be  delivered 
to  their  friends  and  relations;  but  whom  he  certainly 
would  never  show,  until  the  little  boy  was  produced.  He 
also  made  another  demand,  which  was  for  the  restoration 
of  an  United  States  ranger,  by  the  name  of  Abbe,  who  had 
been  captured  by  them  during  the  summer  before.  They 
acknowledged  the  seizure  of  this  man,  and  all  solemnly  de 
clared  that  he  had  been  taken  by  a  party  of  the  Caman- 
chees,  over  whom  they  had  no  control,  and  carried  beyond 
the  Red  River  into  the  Mexican  provinces,  where  he  was 
put  to  death.  They  held  a  long  consultation  about  the  boy, 
and  seeing  their  plans  defeated  by  the  evidence  of  the 
negro ;  and  also  being  convinced  of  the  friendly  disposition 
of  the  Colonel,  by  bringing  home  their  prisoners  from  the 
Osages,  they  sent  out  and  had  the  boy  brought  in,  from  the 
middle  of  a  corn-field,  where  he  had  been  secreted.  He  is 
a  smart  and  very  intelligent  boy  of  nine  years  of  age,  and 
when  he  came  in,  he  was  entirely  naked,  as  they  keep  their- 
own  boys  of  that  age.  There  was  a  great  excitement  in 
the  council  when  the  little  fellow  was  brought  in  ;  and  as  he 
passed  amongst  them,  he  looked  around  and  exclaimed  with 
some  surprise,  'What!  are  there  white  men  here?'  to 
which  Colonel  Dodge  replied,  and  asked  his  name ;  and  he 
promptly  answered,  <my  name  is  Matthew  Wright  Martin.' 
He  was  inen  received  into  Colonel  Dodge's  arms;  and  an 
order  was  immediately  given  for  the  Pawnee  and  Kiowa 
girls  to  be  brought  forward;  they  were  in  a  few  minutes; 
brought  into  the  council-house,  when  they  were  at  once  re 
cognised  by  their  friends  and  relatives,  who  embraced  them 
with  the  most  extravagant  expressions  of  joy  and  satisfac 
tion.  The  heart  of  the  venerable  old  chief  was  melted  at 
this  evidence  of  white  man's  friendship,  and  he  rose  upon 
his  feet,  and  taking  Colonel  Dodge  in  his  arms,  and  placing 
his  left  cheek  against  the  left  cheek  of  the  Colonel,  held  him 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  253 

for  some  minutes  without  saying  a  word,  whilst  tears  were 
flowing  from  his  eyes.  He  then  embraced  each  officer  in 
turn,  in  the  same  silent  and  affectionate  manner;  which 
form  took  an  half  hour  or  more,  before  it  was  completed.* 

"  From  this  moment  the  council,  which  before  had  been  a 
very  grave  and  uncertain  one,  took  a  pleasing  and  friendly 
turn.  And  this  excellent  old  man  ordered  the  women  to 
supply  the  dragoons  with  something  to  eat,  as  they  were 
hungry. 

"  The  little  encampment,  which  heretofore  was  in  a  woful 
condition,  having  eaten  up  their  last  rations  twelve  hours 
before,  were  now  gladdened  by  the  approach  of  a  number 
of  women,  who  brought  their  "back  loads"  of  dried  buffalo 
meat  and  green  corn,  and  threw  it  down  amongst  them. 
This  seemed  almost  like  a  providential  deliverance,  for  the 
country  between  here  and  the  Camanchees,  was  entirely 
destitute  of  game,  and  our  last  provisions  were  consumed. 

"  The  council  thus  proceeded  successfully  and  pleasantly 
for  several  days,  whilst,  the  warriors  of  the  Kiowas  and 
Wicos,  two  adjoining  and  friendly  tribes  living  further  to 
the  West,  were  arriving ;  and  also  a  great  many  from  other 
bands  of  the  Camanchees,  who  had  heard  of  our  arrival ; 
until  two  thousand  or  more  of  these  wild  and  fearless 
looking  fellows  were  assembled,  and  all,  from  their  horses' 
backs,  with  v/eapons  in  hand,  were  looking  into  our  pitiful 
little  encampment,  of  two  hundred  men,  all  in  a  state  of 
dependence  and  almost  literal  starvation;  and  at  the  same 
time  nearly  one  half  the  number  too  sick  to  have  made  a 
successful  resistance  if  we  were  to  have  been  attacked." 

"  The  command  returned  to  this  village  after  an  absence 
of  fifteen  days,  in  a  fatigued  and  destitute  condition,  with 
scarcely  any  thing  to  eat,  or  chance  of  getting  any  thing 

*  The  little  boy  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  was  brought  in  the  whole 
distance  to  Fort  Gibson,  in  the  arms  of  the  dragoons,  who  took  turns  in 
carrying  him ;  and  after  the  command  arrived  there,  he  was  transmitted 
to  the  Red  River,  by  an  officer,  who  had  the  enviable  satisfaction  of  de 
livering  him  into  the  arms  of  his  disconsolate  and  half  distracted  mother. 

22 


254  CATLIN'S     NARRATIVE. 

here;'  in  consequence  of  which,  Colonel  Dodge  almost 
instantly  ordered  preparations  to  be  made  for  a  move  to  the 
head  of  the  Canadian  river,  a  distance  of  an  hundred  or 
more  miles,  where  the  Indians  represented  to  us  there  would 
be  found  immense  herds  of  buffaloes ;  a  place  where  we 
could  get  enough  to  eat,  and  by  lying  by  awhile,  could  re 
store  the  sick,  who  are  now  occupying  a  great  number  of 
litters.  Some  days  have  elapsed,  however,  and  we  are  not 
quite  ready  for  the  start  yet.  And  during  that  time,  con 
tinual  parties  of  the  Pawnee  Picts  and  Kioways  have  come 
up  ;  and  also  Camanchees,  from  other  villages,  to  get  a  look 
at  us,  and  many  of  them  are  volunteering  to  go  in  with  us 
to  the  frontier. 

"  The  world  who  know  me,  will  see  that  I  can  scarcely  be 
idle  under  such  circumstances  as  these,  where  so  many 
subjects  for  my  brush  and  my  pen  are  gathering  about  me." 

"  The  Pawnee  Picts,  Kioways,  and  Wicos  are  the  subjects 
that  I  am  most  closely  scanning  at  this  moment;  and  I  have 
materials  enough  around  me. 

"  The  Pawnee  Picts  are  undoubtedly  a  numerous  and 
powerful  tribe,  occupying,  with  the  Kioways  and  Wicos,  the 
whole  country  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Red  River,  and 
quite  into  and  through  the  southern  part  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  old  chief  told  me  by  signs,  enumerating 
with  his  hands  and  fingers,  that  they  had  altogether  three 
thousand  warriors;  which  if  true,  estimating  according  to 
the  usual  rule,  one  warrior  to  four,  would  make  the  whole 
number  about  twelve  thousand;  and,  allowing  a  fair  per 
centage  for  boasting  or  bragging,  of  which  they  are 
generally  a  little  guilty  in  such  cases,  there  would  be  at  a 
fair  calculation  from  eight  to  ten  thousand.  These  then, 
in  an  established  alliance  with  the  great  tribe  of  Caman 
chees,  hunting  and  feasting  together,  and  ready  to  join  in 
common  defence  of  their  country  become  a  very  formidable 
enemy  when  attacked  on  their  own  ground. 

"  The  name  of  the  Pawnee  Picts,  \ve  find  to  be  in  their 


CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE.  255 

own  language,  Tow-ee-ahge,  the  meaning  of  which  I  have 
not  yet  learned.  I  have  ascertained  also,  that  these  people 
are  in  no  way  related  to  the  Pawnees  of  the  Platte,  who 
reside  a  thousand  miles  or  more  north  of  them,  and  know 
them  only  as  enemies.  There  is  no  family  or  tribal  re 
semblance;  nor  any  in  their  language  or  customs.  The 
Pawnees  of  the  Platte  shave  the  head,  and  the  Pawnee 
Picts  abominate  the  custom ;  allowing  their  hair  to  grow 
like  the  Camanchees  and  other  tribes. 

"  The  old  chief  of  the  Pawnee  Picts,  of  whom  I  have  be 
fore  spoken,  and  whose  name  is  We-ta-ra-sha-ro,  is  un 
doubtedly  a  very  excellent  and  kind  hearted  old  man,  of 
ninety  or  more  years  of  age,  and  has  consented  to  ac 
company  us,  with  a  large  party  of  his  people,  to  Fort 
Gibson;  where  Colonel  Dodge  has  promised  to  return  him 
liberal  presents  from  the  Government,  for  the  friendship  he 
has  evinced  on  the  present  occasion. 

"The  second  chief  of  this  tribe,  Sky-se-ro-ka,  we  found  to 
be  a  remarkably  clever  man,  and  much  approved  and 
valued  in  his  tribe. 

"The  Pawnee  Picts,  as  well  as  the  Camanchees,  are 
generally  a  very  clumsy  and  ordinary  looking  set  of  men, 
when  on  their  feet ;  but  being  fine  horsemen,  are  equally 
improved  in  appearance  as  soon  as  they  mount  upon  their 
horses'  backs. 

"Amongst  the  women  of  this  tribe,  there  were  many  that 
were  exceedingly  pretty  in  feature  and  in  form ;  and  also  in 
expression,  though  their  skins  are  very  dark.  The  dress  of 
the  men  in  this  tribe,  as  amongst  the  Camanchees,  consists 
generally  in  leggings  of  dressed  skins,  and  mocassins ;  with 
a  flap  or  breech  clout,  made  also  of  dressed  skins  or  furs, 
and  often  very  beautifully  ornamented  with  shells,  &c. 
Above  the  waist  they  seldom  wear  any  drapery,  owing  to 
the  warmth  of  the  climate,  which  will  rarely  justify  it ;  and 
their  heads  are  generally  uncovered  with  a  head-dress,  like 
the  Northern  tribes  who  live  in  a  colder  climate,  and  actually 
require  them  for  comfort. 

"  The  women  of  the  Camanchees  and  Pawnee  Picts,  are 


256  CATLIN'S    NARRATIVE. 

always  decently  and  comfortably  clad,  being  covered 
generally  with  a  gown  or  slip,  that  reaches  from  the  chin 
quite  down  to  the  ancles,  made  of  deer  or  elk  skins ;  often 
garnished  very  prettily,  and  ornamented  with  long  fringes 
of  elk's  teeth,  which  are  fastened  on  them  in  rows,  and 
more  highly  valued  than  any  other  ornament  they  can  put 
upon  them." 

Brian.  That  is  a  very  interesting  account.  Is  Mr.  Catlin 
a  painter  ? 

Hunter.  Yes.  He  passed  several  years  in  travelling 
among  the  different  tribes  of  Western  Indians,  and  brought 
away  many  pictures  which  he  painted  from  the  life,  repre 
senting  their  chiefs  and  warriors  and  their  modes  of  life,  as 
well  as  a  most  valuable  collection  of  arms,  dresses,  views 
of  scenery  &c.,  which  he  is  now  exhibiting  in  London.  His 
estimate  of  the  Indian  character  is  more  favourable  than 
that  of  any  other  traveller  who  has  visited  them,  and  his 
opportunities  of  observation  were  excellent. 

Note.  At  the  head  of  this  chapter  is  placed  an  Indian  portrait.  It 
represents  Wah-Menitu,  a  Teton,  who  was  a  visitor  to  the  encampment 
of  travellers  near  Fort  Pierre  on  the  Teton  River,  where  he  was  met 
by  Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,  who  thus  describes  him  in  his  splendid, 
"  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America." 

"  We  received  a  visit  from  six  or  seven  newly  arrived  Tetons,  whom 
the  interpreter,  Dorion,  introduced  to  us.  They  were  particularly  in 
terested  by  the  steam-boat,  and,  after  they  had  very  minutely  examined 
it,  they  were  served  with  dinner  and  pipes.  The  dinner  chiefly  con- 
s-lsted  of  bacon,  which  the  Indians  do  not  like  ;  they,  however,  swallowed 
it,  in  order  that  they  might  not  appear  uncourteous.  Among  them  was 
a  Teton,  named  Wah-Menitu  (the  spirit,  or  god,  in  the  water,)  who  had 
such  a  voracious  appetite,  that'he  devoured  every  thing  which  the  others 
had  'left ;  his  face  was  painted  red ;  he  had  a  remarkably  projecting 
upper  lip,  and  an  aquiline  nose  much  bent.  In  his  hair,  which  hung  in 
disorder  about  his  head,  with  a  plait  coming  over  one  of  his  eyes  or 
.  nose,  the  feather  of  a  bird  of  prey  was  placed  horizontally  ;  but  he  ob 
served  that  he  had  a  right  to  wear  three.  Mr.  Bodmer  who  desired  to 
draw  this  man's  portrait,  gave  him  some  vermilion,  on  which  he  spat, 
and  rubbed  his  face  with  it,  drawing  parallel  lines  in  the  red  color,  with 
a  wooden  stick.  Wah-Menitu  stayed  on  board  for  the  night;  sung, 
talked,  laughed,  and  joked  without  ceasing;  and  seemed  quite  to  enjoy 
himself." 


MISSIONARY    AND    INDIANS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Buffalo  hunt— American  Board  of  Missions— The  United  Brethren— 
The  Church  Missionary  Society— The  Wesley  an  Missionary  Socie 
ty —  The  American  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions — The  American 
Baptist  Missions — The  American  Methodist  Missionary  Society — 
Stations,  schools,  missionaries,  communicants,  scholars,  and  hearers 
— Missionary  relations —  Conclusion. 


PON  the  next  visit  of  the  boys  to 
the  Hunter,  Brian  besought  him 
to   give   them  one  more  extract 
from  Mr.  Catlin's  letters.     He  complied 
readily,  by  reading  the  following  lively 
description   of   a   buffalo    hunt,  taken 
from  a  letter  dated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Yellow  Stone  River. 

"  The  several  tribes  of  Indians  inhabiting  the  regions 
of  the  Upper  Missouri,  and  of  whom  I  spoke  in  my  last 
letter,  are  undoubtedly  the  finest  looking,  best  equipped, 
and  most  beautifully  costumed  of  any  on  the  Continent. 
They  live  in  a  country  well-stocked  with  buffaloes  and 
2  H  22*  257 


258  BUFFALO    HUNT 

wild-horses,  which  furnish  them  »,n  excellent  and  easy 
living ;  their  atmosphere  is  pure,  which  produces  good 
health  and  long  life  ;  and  they  are  the  most  independent 
and  the  happiest  races  of  Indians  I  have  met  with  :  they 
are  all  entirely  in  a  state  of  primitive  wildness,  and  conse 
quently  are  picturesque  and  handsome,  almost  beyond  de 
scription.  Nothing  in  the  world,  of  its  kind,  can  possibly 
surpass  in  beauty  and  grace,  some  of  their  games  and 
amusements — their  gambols  and  parades,  of  which  I  shall 
speak  and  paint  hereafter. 

"  As  far  as  my  travels  have  yet  led  me  into  the  Indian 
country,  I  have  more  than  realized  my  former  predictions 
that  those  Indians  who  could  be  found  most  entirely  in  a 
state  of  nature,  with  the  least  knowledge  of  civilized 
society,  would  be  found  to  be  the  most  cleanly  in  their  per 
sons,  elegant  in  their  dress  and  manners,  and  enjoying  life 
to  the  greatest  perfection.  Of  such  tribes,  perhaps  the 
Crows  and  Blackfeet  stand  first ;  and  no  one  would  be  able 
to  appreciate  the  richness  and  elegance  (and  even  taste  too,) 
with  which  some  of  these  people  dress,  without  seeing  them 
in  their  own  country.  I  will  do  all  I  can,  however,  to  make 
their  looks  as  well  as  customs  known  to  the  world ;  I  will 
paint  with  my  brush  and  scribble  with  my  pen,  and  bring 
their  plumes  and  plumage,  dresses,  weapons,  &c.,and  every 
thing  but  the  Indian  himself,  to  prove  to  the  world  the 
assertions  which  I  have  made  above. 

"  Every  one  of  these  red  sons  of  the  forest  (or  rather  of 
the  prairie)  is  a  knight  and  lord — his  squaws  are  his  slaves ; 
the  only  things  which  he  deems  worthy  of  his  exertions  are 
to  mount  his  snorting  steed,  with  his  bow  and  quiver  slung, 
his  arrow  shield  upon  his  arm,  and  his  long  lance  glistening 
in  the  war  parade  ;  or,  divested  of  all  his  plumes  and  trap 
pings,  armed  with  a  simple  bow  and  quiver,  to  plunge  his 
steed  amongst  the  flying  herds  of  buffaloes,  and  with  his 
sinewy  bow,  which  he  seldom  bends  in  vain,  to  drive  deep 
to  life's  fountain  the  whizzing  arrow. 

"The   buffalo   herds,  which   graze  in   almost  countless 


BUFFALO    HUNT.  259 

numbers  on  these  beautiful  prairies,  afford  them  an  abun 
dance  of  meat ;  and  so  much  is  it  preferred  to  all  other,  that 
the  deer,  the  elk,  and  the  antelope  sport  upon  the  prairies 
in  the  greatest  security ;  as  the  Indians  seldom  kill  them, 
unless  they  want  their  skin  for  a  dress.  The  buffalo  (or 
more  correctly  speaking  bison)  is  a  noble  animal,  that 
roams  over  the  vast  prairies,  from  the  borders  of  Mexico 
on  the  south,  to  Hudson's  Bay  on  the  north.  Their  size  is 
somewhat  above  that  of  our  common  bullock,  and  their 
flesh  of  a  delicious  flavour,  resembling  and  equalling  that 
of  fat  beef.  Their  flesh  which  is  easily  procured,  furnishes 
the  savage  of  these  vast  regions, the  means  of  a  wholesome 
and  good  subsistence,  and  thay  live  almost  exclusively  upon 
it — converting  the  skins,  horns,  hoofs  and  bones,  to  the 
construction  of  dresses,  shields,  bows,  &c.  The  buffalo 
bull  is  one  of  the  most  formidable  and  frightful  looking 
animals  in  the  world  when  excited  to  resistance ;  his  long 
shaggy  mane  hangs  in  great  profusion  over  his  neck  and 
shoulders  and  often  extends  quite  down  to  the  ground.  The 
cow  is  less  in  stature,  and  less  ferocious ;  though  not  much 
less  wild  and  frightful  in  her  appearance. 

"  The  mode  in  which  these  Indians  kill  this  noble  animal 
is  spirited  and  thrilling  in  the  extreme  ;  and  I  must  in  a 
future  epistle  give  you  a  minute  account  of  it.  I  have 
almost  daily  accompanied  parties  of  Indians  to  see  the  fun, 
and  have  often  shared  in  it  myself;  but  much  oftener  ran 
my  horse  by  their  sides  to  see  how  the  thing  was  done — 
to  study  the  modes  and  expressions  of  these  splendid 
scenes,  which  I  am  industriously  putting  upon  the  canvass. 

"  They  are  all  (or  nearly  so)  killed  with  arrows  and  the 
lance,  while  at  full  speed;  and  the  reader  may  easily 
imagine,  that  these  scenes  afford  the  most  spirited  and  pic 
turesque  views  of  the  sporting  kind  that  can  possibly  be 
seen. 

"  At  present,  I  will  give  a  little  sketch  of  a  bit  of  fun  I 
joined  in  yesterday,  with  Mr.  M'Kenzie  and  a  number 
of  his  men,  without  the  company  or  aid  of  Indians. 


260  BUFFALO    HUNT. 

"I  mentioned  the  other  day  that'M'Kenzie's  table  from 
day  to  day  groans  under  the  weight  of  buffalo  tongues  and 
beavers'  tails,  and  other  luxuries  of  this  western  land.  He 
has  within  his  Fort  a  spacious  ice-house,  in  which  he  pre 
serves  his  meat  fresh  for  any  length  of  time  required  ;  and 
sometimes,  when  his  larder  runs  low,  he  starts  out,  rallying 
some  five  or  six  of  his  best  hunters  (not  to  hunt,  but  to  '  go 
for  meat.')  He  leads  the  party,  mounted  on  his  favourite 
buffalo  horse  (i.  e,  the  horse  amongst  his  whole  group 
which  is  best  trained  to  run  the  buffalo,)  trailing  a  light 
and  short  gun  in  his  hand,  such  a  one  as  he  can  most 
easily  reload  whilst  his  horse  is  at  full  speed. 

"  Such  was  the  condition  of  the  ice-house  yesterday 
morning,  which  caused  these  self-catering  gentlemen  to  cast 
their  eyes  with  a  wishful  look  over  the  prairies  ;  and  such 
was  the  plight  in  which  our  host  took  the  lead,  and  I,  and 
then  Mons.  Chardon,  and  Ba'tiste  Defonde  and  Tullock 
(who  is  a  trader  amongst  the  Crows,  and  is  here  at  this 
time,  with  a  large  party  of  that  tribe,)  and  there  were  several 
others  whose  names  I  do  not  know. 

"As  we  were  mounted  and  ready  to  start,  M'Kenzie 
called  up  some  four  or  five  of  his  men,  and  then  told  them 
to  follow  immediately  on  our  trail,  with  as  many  one-horse 
carts,  which  they  were  to  harness  up,  to  bring  home  the 
meat ;  ( ferry  them  across  the  river  in  the  scow,'  said  he, 
c  and  following  our  trail  through  the  bottom,  you  will  find 
us  on  the  plain  yonder,  between  the  Yellow  Stone  arid 
Missouri  rivers,  with  meat  enough  to  load  you  home.  My 
watch  on  yonder  bluff  has  just  told  us  by  his  signals,  that 
there  are  cattle  plenty  on  that  spot,  and  we  are  going 
there  as  fast  as  possible.'  We  all  crossed  the  river,  and 
galloped  away  a  couple  of  miles  or  so,  when  we  mounted 
the  bluff ;  and  to  be  sure,  as  was  said,  there  was  in  full 
view  of  us  a  fine  herd  of  some  four  or  five  hundred  buffa 
loes,  perfectly  at  rest,  and  in  their  own  estimation  (probably) 
perfectly  secure.  Some  were  grazing,  and  others  were 
lying  down  and  sleeping ;  we  advanced  within  a  mile  or  so 


BUFFALO    HUNT.  261 

of  them  in  full  view,  and  came  to  a  halt.  Mons.  Chardon 
<  tossed  the  feather'  (a  custom  always  observed,  to  try  the 
course  of  the  wind,)  and  we  commenced  '  stripping'  as  it 
is  termed  (i.  e.  every  man  strips  himself  and  his  horse  of 
extraneous  and  unnecessary  appendage  of  dress,  &c.,  that 
might  be  an  incumbrance  in  running :)  hats  are  laid  off, 
and  coats — and  bullet  pouches;  sleeves  are  rolled  up,  a 
hankerchief  tied  tightly  around  the  head,  and  another 
around  the  waist — cartridges  are  prepared  and  placed  in 
the  waistcoat  pocket,  or  a  half  dozen  bullets  'throwed 
into  the  mouth,'  &c.,  &c.,  all  of  which  takes  some  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes,  and  is  not,  in  appearance  or  effect,  unlike  a 
council  of  war.  Our  leader  lays  the  whole  plan  of  the 
chase,  and  preliminaries  all  fixed,  guns  charged  and  ram 
rods  in  our  hands,  we  mount  and  start  for  the  onset.  The 
horses  are  all  trained  for  this  business,  and  seem  to  enter 
into  it  with  as  much  enthusiasm,  and  with  as  restless  a 
spirit  as  the  riders  themselves.  While  <  stripping'  and 
mounting,  they  exhibit  the  most  restless  impatience ;  and 
when  <  approaching' — (which  is,  all  of  us  abreast,  upon  a 
slow  walk,  and  ifi  a  straight  line  towards  the  herd,  until 
they  discover  us  and  run,)  they  all  seem  to  have  caught 
entirely  the  spirit  of  the  chase,  for  the  laziest  nag  amongst 
them  prances  with  an  elasticity  in  his  step — champing  his 
bit — his  ears  erect — his  eyes  strained  out  of  his  head,  and 
fixed  upon  the  game  before  him,  whilst  he  trembles  under 
the  saddle  of  his  rider.  In  this  way  we  carefully  and 
silently  marched,  until  within  some  forty  or  fifty  rods  j  when 
the  herd  discovering  us,  wheeled  and  laid  their  course  in  a 
mass.  At  this  instant  we  started  !  (and  all  must  start,  for 
no  one  could  check  the  fury  of  those  steeds  at  that  moment 
of  excitement,)  and  away  all  sailed,  and  over  the  prairie 
flew,  in  a  cloud  of  dust  which  was  raised  by  their  trampling 
hoofs.  M'Kenzie  was  foremost  in  the  throng,  and  soon 
dashed  off  amidst  the  dust  and  was  out  of  sight — he  was 
after  the  fattest  and  the  fastest.  I  had  discovered  a  huge 
bull  whose  shoulders  towered  above  the  whole  band,  and  1 


262  BUFFALO    HUNT. 

picked  my  way  through  the  whole  crowd  to  get  alongside 
of  him.  I  went  not  for  'meat,'  but  for  a  trophy ;  I 
wanted  his  head  and  horns.  I  dashed  along  through  the 
thundering  mass,  as  they  swept  away  over  the  plain, 
scarcely  able  to  tell  whether  I  was  on  a  buffalo's  back  or 
my  horse — hit,  and  hooked,  and  jostled  about,  till  at  length 
I  found  myself  alongside  of  my  game,  when  I  gave  him  a 
shot,  as  I  passed  him.  I  saw  guns  flash  in  several  direc 
tions  about  me,  but  I  heard  them  not.  Amidst  the  tramp 
ling  throng,  Mons.  Chardon  had  wounded  a  stately  bull, 
and  at  this  moment  was  passing  him  again  with  his  piece 
levelled  for  another  shot ;  they  were  both  at  full  speed 
and  I  also,  within  the  reach  of  the  muzzle  of  my  gun, 
when  the  bull  instantly  turned  and  receiving  the  horse  upon 
his  horns,  and  the  ground  received  poor  Chardon,  who  made 
a  frog's  leap  of  some  twenty  feet  or  more  over  the  bull's 
back,  and  almost  under  my  horse's  heels.  I  wheeled  my 
horse  as  soon  as  possible  and  rode  back,  where  lay  poor 
Chardon,  gasping  to  start  his  breath  again ;  and  within  a 
few  paces  of  him  his  huge  victim,  with  his  heels  high  in 
the  air,  and  the  horse  lying  across  him.  I  dismounted 
instantly,  but  Chardon  was  raising  himself  on  his  hands, 
with  his  eyes  full  of  dirt,  and  feeling  for  his  gun,  which 
lay  about  thirty  feet  in  advance  of  him.  '  Heaven  spare 

you!   are   you    hurt,   Chardon?'      <hi — hie hie 

hie hie hie no, hie 

no no,  I  believe  not.     Oh  !  this  is  not  much, 

Mons.  Cataline — this  is  nothing  new — but  this  is  a  hard 
piece  of  ground  here — hie — oh  !  hie !'  At  this  the  poor 
fellow  fainted,  but  in  a  few  moments  arose,  picked  up  his 
gun,  took  his  horse  by  the  bit ;  which  then  opened  its  eyes, 
and  with  a  hie  and  a  ugh — UGHK  !  sprang  upon  its  feet — 
shook  off  the  dirt — and  here  we  were,  all  upon  our  legs 
again,  save  the  bull,  whose  fate  had  been  more  sad  than 
that  of  either. 

"  I  turned  my  eyes  in  the  direction  where  the  herd  had 
gone,  and  our  companions  in  pursuit,  and  nothing  could  be 


263 


BUFFALO    HUNT.  265 

seen  of  them,  nor  indication,  except  the  cloud  of  dust 
which  they  left  behind  them.  At  a  little  distance  on  the 
right,  however,  I  beheld  my  huge  victim  endeavouring  to 
make  as  much  head-way  as  he  possibly  could,  from  this 
dangerous  ground,  upon  three  legs.  I  gallopped  off  to  him, 
and  at  my  approach  he  wheeled  around — and  bristled  up 
for  battle  ;  he  seemed  to  know  perfectly  well  that  he  could 
not  escape  from  me,  and  resolved  to  meet  his  enemy  and 
death  as  bravely  as  possible. 

"  I  found  that  my  shot  had  entered  him  a  little  too  far 
forward,  breaking  one  of  his  shoulders,  and  lodging  in  his 
breast,  and  from  his  very  great  weight  it  was, impossible 
for  him  to  make  much  advance  upon  me.  As  I  rode  up 
within  a  few  paces  of  him  he  would  bristle  up  with  fury 
enough  in  his  looks  alone,  almost  to  annihilate  me  ;  and 
making  one  lunge  at  me,  would  fall  upon  his  neck  and 
nose,  so  that  I  found  the  sagacity  of  my  horse  alone  enough 
to  keep  me  out  of  reach  of  danger  :  and  I  drew  from  my 
pocket  my  sketch-book,  laid  my  gun  across  my  lap,  and 
commenced  taking  his  likeness.  He  stood  stiffened  up, 
and  swelling  with  awful  vengeance,  which  was  sublime 
for  a  picture,  but  which  he  could  not  vent  upon  me.  I  rode 
around  him  and  sketched  him  in  numerous  attitudes,  some 
times  he  would  lie  down,  and  I  would  then  sketch  him 
then  throw  my  cap  at  him,  and  rousing  him  on  his  legs, 
rally  a  new  expression,  and  sketch  him  again. 

"  In  this  way  I  added  to  my  sketch-book  some  invaluable 
sketches  of  this  grim-visaged  monster,  who  knew  not  that 
he  was  standing  for  his  likeness. 

"  No  man  on  earth  can  imagine  what  is  the  look  and  ex 
pression  of  such  a  subject  before  him  as  this  was.  I  defy  the 
world  to  produce  another  animal  that  can  look  so  frightful  as 
a  huge  buffalo  bull,  when  wounded  as  he  was,  turned  around 
for  battle,  and  swelling  with  rage ; — his  eyes  bloodshot,  and 
his  long  shaggy  mane  hanging  to  the  ground,— his  mouth 
open,  and  his  horrid  rage  hissing  in  streams  of  smoke  and 

21  23 


266  BUFFALO    HUNT. 

blood  from  his  mouth  and  through  his  nostrils,  as  he  is 
bending  forward  to  spring  upon  his  assailant. 

"  After  I  had  had  the  requisite  time  and  opportunity  for 
using  my  pencil/M'Kenzie  and  his  companions  came  walking 
their  exhausted  horses  back  from  the  chase,  and  in  our  rear 
came  four  or  five  carts  to  carry  home  the  meat.  The  party 
met  from  all  quarters  around  me  and  my  buffalo  bull,  whom 
I  then  shot  in  the  head  and  finished.  And  being  seated 
together  for  a  few  minutes,  each  one  took  a  smoke  of  the 
pipe,  and  recited  his  exploits,  and  his  <  coups'  or  deaths ; 
when  all  parties  had  a  hearty  laugh  at  me,  as  a  novice,  for 
having  aimed  at  an  old  bull,  whose  flesh  was  not  suitable 
for  food,  and  the  carts  were  escorted  on  the  trail  to  bring 
away  the  meat.  I  rode  back  with  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  who 
pointed  out  five  cows  which  he  had  killed,  and  all  of  them 
selected  as  the  fattest  and  sleekest  of  the  herd.  This  aston 
ishing  feat  was  all  performed  within  the  distance  of  one 
mile — all  were  killed  at  full  speed,  and  every  one  shot 
through  the  heart.  In  the  short  space  of  time  required  for 
a  horse  under  <  full  whip,'  to  run  the  distance  of  one  mile 
he  had  discharged  his  gun  five,  and  loaded  it  four  times — 
selected  his  animals,  and  killed  at  every  shot !  There  were 
six  or  eight  others  killed  at  the  same  time,  which  altogether 
furnished,  as  will  be  seen,  abundance  of  freight  for  the 
carts;  which  returned,  as  well  as  several  packhorses, 
loaded  with  the  choicest  parts  which  were  cut  from  the 
animals,  and  the  remainder  of  the  carcasses  left  a  prey  for 
the  wolves. 

"  Such  is  the  mode  by  which  white  men  live  in  this 
country — such  is  the  way  in  which  they  get  their  food,  and 
such  is  one  of  their  delightful  amusements — at  the  hazard 
of  every  bone  in  one's  body,  to  feel  the  fine  and  thrilling 
exhilaration  of  the  chase  for  a  moment,  and  then  as  often 
to  upbraid  and  blame  himself  for  his  folly  and  imprudence. 

"  From  this  scene  we  commenced  leisurely  wending  our 
way  back;  and  dismounting  at  the  place  were  we  had 
stripped,  each  man  dressed  himself  again,  or  slung  his 


BUFFALO    HUNT.  267 

extra  articles  of  dress,  &c.,  across  his  saddle,  astride  of  which 
he  sat ;  and  we  rode  back  to  the  Fort,  reciting  as  we  rode, 
and  for  twenty -four  hours  afterwards,  deeds  of  chivalry 
and  chase,  and  hair's-breadth  escapes  which  each  and 
either  had  fought  and  run  on  former  occasions.  M'Kenzie, 
with  all  the  true  character  and  dignity  of  a  leader,  was  silent 
on  these  subjects ;  but  smiled,  while  those  in  his  train  were 
reciting  for  him  the  astonishing  and  tdmost  incredible  deeds 
of  his  sinewy  arms,  which  they  had  witnessed  in  similar 
scenes ;  from  which  I  learned  (as  well  as  from  my  own 
observations,)  that  he  was  reputed  (and  actually  was)  the 
most  distinguished  of  all  the  white  men  who  have  flourished 
in  these  regions,  in  the  pursuit  of  the  buffalo. 

On  our  return  to  the  Fort,  an  entertainment  was  set  forth 
upon  the  table,  and  around  it  a  half  dozen  parched  throats 
were  soon  moistened,  and  good  cheer  ensued.  Ba'tiste 
Defonde,  Chardon,  &c.,  retired  to  their  quarters,  enlarging 
smoothly  upon  the  events  of  our  morning's  work ;  which 
they  were  reciting  to  their  wives  and  sweethearts ;  when 
about  this  time  the  gate  of  the  Fort  was  thrown  open,  and 
the  procession  of  carts  and  packhorses  laden  with  buffalo 
meat  made  its  entree ;  gladdening  the  hearts  of  a  hundred 
women  and  children,  and  tickling  the  noses  of  as  many 
hungry  dogs  and  puppies,  who  were  stealing  in  and 
smelling  at  the  tail  of  the  procession.  The  door  of  the  ice- 
house  was  thrown  open,  the  meat  was  discharged  into  it, 
and  I  being  fatigued,  went  to  sleep." 

In  their  early  interviews  with  the  hunter  Austin  Ed 
wards  and  his  brothers  thought  of  little  else  than  of  bluffs 
and  prairies,  buffaloes,  bears,  and  beavers,  warlike  Red 
Indian  chiefs,  and  the  spirit-stirring  adventures  of  savage 
life ;  but  the  last  visit  paid  to  the  cottage  had  considerably 
sobered  their  views.  The  hunter  had  gradually  won  his 
way  into  their  affections,  by  contributing  largely  to  their 
amusement ;  and  he  had,  also,  secured  their  respect  and 
high  opinion,  by  his  serious  remarks.  They  had  no  doubt 
of  his  being  a  true  friend  to  Red  Indians,  and  they  had. 


269  STATISTICS    OP    MISSIONS. 

on  that  account,  listened  the  more  attentively  to  what  he 
had  advanced  on  the  subject  of  missionaries.     The  know 
ledge  that  they  were  about  to  hear  the  end  of  the  hunter's 
relation,  though  it  hung  a  little  heavy  on  their  spirits,  dis 
posed  them  to  seriousness  and  attention. 

u  And  now,"  said  the  hunter,  as  soon  as  Austin,  Brian, 
and  Basil  had  expressed  the  pleasure  afforded  them  by  the 
extract  read  from  Mr.  Catlings  letter,  "  I  will  give  you 
the  best  statement  I  can,  in  a  few  words,  of  the  number  of 
people  who  are  employed  among  the  Red  Indians  in  the 
missionary  cause." 

*ftustin.  Yes ;  we  shall  like  to  hear  that  very  well. 

Hunter.  The  American  Board  of  Missions,  (as  stated 
in  the  Missionary  Register,  May,  1842,)  has  among  the 
Indians  twenty -five  stations,  twenty-three  missionaries,  two 
medical  missionaries,  three  native  preachers,  two  physicians, 
and  fifteen  male  assistants.  The  United  Brethren  have  a 
congregation  at  New  Fairfield,  Upper  Canada ;  another  at 
Westfield,  on  the  Missouri ;  and  a  third  in  Arkansas,  among 
the  Cherokees.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  has  four 
stations  connected  with  the  Red  River  settlement,  three 
missionaries,  a  catechist,  and  seven  schoolmasters.  The 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  has  ninety-two  missiona 
ries,  forty-eight  catechists  and  readers,  ten  salaried  and 
jj.  seven  hundred  gratuitous  teachers;  but  these  are  chiefly 
employed  among  the  Europeans,  though  at  least  a  thousand 
Indians  are  connected  with  the  mission  in  Upper  Canada. 
Missions  are  also  established  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com 
pany's  territories.  The  American  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Missions  has  one  missionary  and  one  teacher  among  the 
Chippeway  and  Ottowa  Indians ;  and  a  missionary  and 
two  catechists  among  the  Iowa  and  Sac  Indians.  The  Amer 
ican  Baptist  Missions  have  thirteen  stations,  and  some  out- 
stations;  twelve  missionaries  and  teachers,  two  teachers,  one 
female  teacher,  and  twenty -three  assistants,  of  whom  eleven 
are  native  Indians.  The  American  Methodist  Missionary 
Society  has  sixty-eight  missionaries  and  assistants  connected 


ANECDOTE    OP    INDIAN    CONVERT.    269 

with  the  mission  to  the  Oregon  Indians,  twenty-five  of 
whom  are  aboriginal  missionaries :  at  least  a  thousand  natives 
here  have  renounced  heathenism.  The  missionaries  of  the 
American  Board  of  Missions,  of  whom  I  first  spoke,  are 
engaged  among  the  Cherokees,  Choctaws,  Pawnees,  Ore- 
gons,  Sioux,  Ojibbeways,  Stockbridge  Indians,  New  York 
Indians,  and  Abenaquis.  Perhaps,  in  all  the  North  Amer 
ican  Missions,  there  may  be  more  than  a  hundred  stations  ; 
more  than  a  hundred  missionaries ;  more  than  seven  hun 
dred  schools ;  more  than  a  thousand  teachers ;  more  than 
five  thousand  communicants ;  more  than  forty  thousand 
scholars;  and  more  than  seventy  thousand  attendants  on 
public  worship.  Having  given  you  this  general  summary, 
suppose  I  oifer  you  a  few  particulars  from  the  statements 
of  some  of  the  missionaries. 

Austin.  Yes ;  that  will  do  very  well. 

Hunter.  We  cannot  tell  in  what  way  it  may  please  God 
to  convert  the  heathen  to  Christianity ;  but  the  most  likely 
way  appears  to  be  by  means  of  schools,  for  in  them  the 
word  of  God  is  made  known  to  the  young. 

Brian.  Ay;  there  are  seven  hundred  schools  among 
them. 

Hunter.  The  following  is  an  affecting  instance  of  sin 
cerity  and  earnestness  in  religion,  on  the  part  of  a  Red 
Indian.  One  of  the  missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  writes  thus  from  the  Red  River : — "  Returned  home 
in  company  with  a  native,  whose  son  had  gone  a  long 
journey,  near  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  I  was  delighted  to 
find  that  he  had  sent  his  son  off,  with  the  most  pressing  in 
junction  that  he  would  pray  to  God  at  least  twice  every 
day,  and  read  the  Bible  as  often  as  he  had  an  opportunity 
He  said,  'My  son,  as  long  as  you  have  been  in  my  house 
you  have  seen  me  pray :  let  this  put  you  in  mind  that  there 
is  a  Being  whom  we  cannot  see,  who  gives  us  all  things. 
You  go  to  church:  there  you  hear  that  this  great  Being, 
whom  wicked  men  hate  and  are  afraid  of,  is  love.  When 
you  go  through  the  plains,  you  will  not  see  me  praying; 
23* 


270      CONDUCT    OF    CHRISTIAN    INDIANS. 

you  will  no*  hear  that  God  is  love.  There  you  will  meet 
with  men  whose  hearts  are  cruel ;  who  will  stand  up  against 
you ;  who  have  no  pity:  they  would  drive  an  arrow  through 
your  heart;  they  would  take  your  scalp  from  your  head, 
and  drink  your  blood.  My  son,  when  night  comes  on,  be 
fore  you  close  your  eyes,  ask  Him  who  draws  the  darkness 
round  you  to  look  and  pity  you,  and  spread  his  hand  over 
you ;  for  you  are  alone,  far  from  home,  and  have  no  other 
friend  but  Him.  When  morning  comes,  and  your  eyes 
first  see  the  light,  thank  the  Best  of  all  beings  for  his  pro 
tection  ;  and  ask  Him  to  go  with  you  on  your  journey,  to 
turn  men  who  have  bad  hearts  on  one  side,  that  they  may 
not  meet  you.  Should  you  be  in  danger,  never  forget  that 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanse th  from  all  sin.  Trust 
in  it :  God  has  accepted  of  it  as  the  sacrifice  for  your  soul ; 
and,  through  this,  you  and  I  may  meet  in  heaven.'  The 
father  said  to  me :  <  My  heart  was  light  and  happy,  when  I 
saw  my  son  take  his  Bible  and  some  tracts;  and  when  he 
squeezed  my  hand,  with  the  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  said,  I 
will  remember  Him  who  is  over  us  all,  till  I  meet  you 
again.'" 

Jlustin.  That  is  a  very  striking  anecdote.  I  like  the 
native  Indian,  and  his  son  too. 

Hunter.  "When  the  Christian  Indians  are  out  on  a 
hunting  excursion,  they  usually  spend  the  Lord's  day  to 
gether,  and  abstain  entirely  from  the  chase.  One  reads  the 
church  service  to  the  others  who  assemble;  and,  after 
singing,  they  all  talk  over  what  they  remember  of  the  word 
of  God,  taught  them  either  in  church  or  in  school.  The 
hunters  are  never  absent  on  a  Lord's  day,  when  it  can  be 
avoided :  they,  for  the  most  part,  contrive  to  come  in  on  the 
Saturday  evening,  and  go  away  on  the  Monday  morning." 

Austin.  They  act  just  as  if  they  remembered  the  words, 
"  Remember  the  sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy." 

Hunter.  The  missionary  goes  on  to  say : — "  I  have  to-day 
attended  a  general  assembly  of  the  Saulteaux  Indians,  con 
vened  by  their  chief,  Pigwys,  for  the  purpose  of  urging 


INTERVIEW    WITH    THE    SAULTEAUX.       271 

upon  them  the  importance  of  becoming  Christians.  After  I 
had  complied  with  their  custom,  by  presenting  each  of  the 
men  with  a  small  piece  of  tobacco,  they  seated  themselves 
in  a  circle,  and  I,  with  the  chief  and  my  interpreter,  took 
our  station  in  the  centre.  I  addressed  them  at  some  length, 
setting  before  them,  in  as  plain  terms  as  I  was  able,  the 
leading  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  commencing  with  the  fall, 
and  the  consequent  corruption  of  human  nature.  I  then 
proceeded  to  tell  them  of  the  plan  of  redemption  devised  by 
Infinite  Mercy  for  the  recovery  of  fallen  man,  through  the 
merits  and  death  of  the  Saviour ;  and  urged  upon  them  the 
importance  of  forsaking  their  heathen  practices,  and  re 
ceiving  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  assuring  them  that  there  was 
"  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  where 
by  we  must  be  saved,"  Acts  iv.  12.  I  was  followed  by. 
the  chief,  Pigwys,  in  a  speech  which  occupied  nearly  an 
hour,  delivered  with  great  energy,  emphasis,  and  eloquence. 
He  begged  them  to  attend  to  the  advice  I  had  been  giving, 
to  give  up  their  children  to  the  school,  and  to  come  to 
church  themselves.  He  ?lso  told  them,  that,  in  addition  to 
the  prospect  of  happiness  in  the  next  life,  he  lived  far  more 
comfortably  now  "than  he  did  when  a  heathen :  his  mind 
was  at  peace,  and  his  worldly  circumstances  were  much 
better.  Such,  alas  !  is  the  indifference,  I  may  say  prejudice, 
of  the  Saulteaux  Indians  towards  Christianity,  that  though 
the  assembly  consisted  of  nearly  the  whole  tribe,  not  one 
expressed  a  desire  for  instruction,  nor  did  we  get  the  promise 
of  more  than  three  children  for  the  school,  and  I  doubt  if 
these  will  be  sent.  As,  however,  God  has  disposed  the 
hearts  of  the  Muscaigoes  to  receive  the  gospel,  we  trust  he 
will,  in  due  time,  work  for  his  own  glory  among  the  Saul 
teaux.  Till  then,  let  us  labour  with  patience  and  perseve 
rance,  in  humble  dependence  upon  Him." 

Basil.  I  think  the  missionaries  are  good  men,  and  do  all 
the  good  they  can  among  the  Red  Indians. 

Hunter.  No  doubt  they  do ;  but  there  are  many  of  the 
tribes  on  which  very  little  impression  has  been  made. 


272  VISIT    TO    A    SICK    INDIAN. 

Indians,  who  have  seen  every  thing  evil  among  white  men 
traders,  are  apt  to  look  on  all  white  men  with  suspicion ; 
and  then,  the  superstitions  in  which  they  have  been  brought 
up  have  a  strong  hold  on  them. 

Basil.  Please  to  tell  us  more  about  the  missionaries. 

Hunter.  Listen,  then,  to  an  account  of  a  missionary  vis 
iting  the  sick.  "  I  went  to  see  a  sick  Indian,  whom  I  bap 
tized  last  January.  I  reminded  him  of  the  promises  which 
he  made  when  he  was  baptized,  and  asked  if  he  were 
still  determined  to  put  his  full  trust  in  God  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  depending  upon  his  merits  alone.  He 
answered,  with  some  emphasis, '  Yes.'  I  then  exhorted  him 
to  keep  his  feet  firm  upon  that  Rock  of  all  our  hopes ; 
assuring  him,  that  if  he  were  depending  upon  Christ,  though 
-he  might  have  but  little  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God,  he 
would  find  himself  safe." 

Brian.  Poor  sick  Indian  ! 

Hunter.  "  Having  said  as  much  to  him  as  I  deemed  ad 
visable  in  his  present  exhausted  state — for  I  more  than  once 
thought  him  expiring  while  I  ^:as  talking — I  asked  if  he 
particularly  wished  to  say  any  thing  to  me.  His  voice  was 
now  scarcely  audible ;  but  his  wife,  putting  her  ear  to  his 
mouth,  said, f  He  asks  you  to  baptize  his  child,  and  let  him 
be  taught  the  word  of  God,  that  he  may  come  to  him  in 
the  next  world.' " 

Basil.  Then  he  really  did  hope  to  go  to  heaven. 

Hunter.  "  I  said,  '  If  the  child  be  given  up  to  us,  of 
course  we  shall  instruct  him  in  the  school,  and,  in  due  course, 
he  will  be  baptized.  Ask  him  if  that  is  satisfactory.'  lie 
said,  <  Yes ;  but  it  is  now  too  young  to  leave  its  mother  : 
may  it  stay  with  her  till  it  is  old  enough  to  go  to  school  ?'  ' 

Basil.  That  was  very  thoughtful  of  him. 

Hunter.  "  Feeling  deeply  affected  at  the  considerate  ten 
derness  of  this  request,  I  could  scarcely  repress  the  tear,  as 
I  said,  (  Yes ;  it  may.'  I  then  exhorted  him  to  cast  him 
self  upen  the  mercy  of  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  told  him  I  would  call  upon  God  in  prayer,  that  he 


DEATH    OP    A    CHRISTIAN    INDIAN.        273 

might  be  supported  in  the  last  trying  scene,  and  be  con 
ducted  in  safety  to  that  heavenly  inheritance  which  I  trusted 
was  reserved  for  him  in  the  world  .above.  While  I  was 
kneeling  by  the  dying  man,  commending  his  soul  to  God  in 
prayer,  the  pealing  thunder,  together  with  the  rain  falling 
upon  the  bark  which  covered  the  tent,  rendered  my  voice 
inaudible.  It  was,  indeed,  a  solemn  scene." 

Austin.  That  must  have  been  solemn  indeed  ! 

Hunter.  "  I  again  visited  the  sick  Indian,  and  found  him 
sinking  rapidly.  I  asked  him  if  he  still  felt  comfort  in  rest 
ing  upon  the  merits  of  Christ.  He  feebly  articulated,  <  Yes;' 
and  appeared  desirous  of  saying  more  ;  but  his  voice  failed, 
and  he  fell  back,  evidently  in  the  agonies  of  death." 

Basil.  Ay  ;  I  dare  say  he  died  then. 

Hunter.  "  I  was  deeply  grieved  to  hear  his  father  giving 
utterance  to  expressions  which  must  have  both  distressed 
and  disturbed  the  dying  man.  Among  other  things,  he  said 
to  me,  <  You  talk  about  your  God  being  so  good  and  power 
ful  ;  yet  there  is  my  son  lying,  and  you  are  not  able  to 
obtain  any  help  for  him  from  your  God.'  I  told  hfm  that  I 
trusted  our  God,  to  whom  his  son  had  given  himself,  was 
about  to  take  him  to  a  place  of  happiness,  ,  where  he  would 
dwell  for  ever,  be  no  more  sick,  nor  suffer  hunger,  thirst, 
*br  pain ;  and  that  the  afflictions  which  had  been  laid  upon 
him  were  intended  to  make  him  repent  of  his  past  sins,  and 
trust  in  the  Saviour,  in  order  that  he  might  be  made  fit  for 
heaven.  I  then  endeavoured  to  show  the  old  man  how 
awful  it  was  for  him  to  be  so  completely  given  up  to  the 
devil,  and  so  bent  upon  doing  his  drudgery,  as  even  to  disturb 
the  dying  moments  of  his  son.  I  told  him  that  unless  he  under 
went  great  change,  he  would  very  soon  be  separated  from 
his  son  for  ever ;  and  I  could  only  pray  that  his  eyes  might 
be  opened,  before  he  found  himself  in  hell.  Having  com 
mended  the  dying  man  to  God,  I  left  the  tent ;  and  had  not 
been  long  at  home,  when  a  person  came  to  tell  me  that  he 
had  expired." 

*S 


874  MISSIONARIES. 

Basil.  I  thought  he  would  die.  I  wish  his  father  had 
known  better. 

Hunter.  "I  sent  Mr.  Cook  to  make  arrangements  for 
burying  the  body ;  but  he  returned,  saying,  that  they 
wished  it  to  be  taken  away  at  once.  I  was,  therefore,  com 
pelled  to  send  my  servant  to  carry  the  corpse  to  the  church 
till  a  coffin  conld  be  made.  The  Indian  custom  is  to  bury 
the  dead  as  quickly  as  possible ;  and  so  strong  is  their  aver 
sion  to  see  the  change  which  the  last  enemy  produces  on 
the  countenance,  that  it  is  the  practice,  as  soon  as  the  person 
has  expired,  for  the  relatives  to  paint  his  face  red,  that  the 
change  may  not  be  seen,  even  during  the  few  hours  occu 
pied  in  making  the  grave.  They  then  put  upon  the 
deceased  all  his  ornaments,  and  wrap  the  body  in  a  blanket, 
together  with  his  hunting  and  fishing  implements.  Having 
placed  it  in  the  grave,  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  covered  it 
with  earth,  they  sit  in  a  circle  round  the  grave  for  about  an 
hour,  smoking  their  pipes  ;  after  which  some  one  makes  a 
speech,  and  then  they  retire.  All  the  Christian  Indians  are, 
of  course,  buried  in  the  churchyard,  after  the  European 
custom  ;  and  when  any  die  who  have  not  Christian  relatives 
to  bury  them,  the  task  falls  upon  us,  as  in  this  case.  I  do 
not  know  how  I  am  to  get  this  poor  man  buried  ;  for  all  the 
men  able  to  give  any  assistance  are  now  away,  and  I  have 
only  one  Indian  boy  with  me  in  the  house  ;  as  my  principal 
servant,  who  alone  could  have  been  of  any  service  to  me, 
is  sick  at  Grand  Rapids." 

Brian.  How  could  the  missionary  bury  him  ? 

Hunter.  "I  was  compelled  to  set  to  work  this  morning, 
with  two  Indian  boys,  to  make  a  coffin  for  the  man  who 
died  yesterday.  We  finished  it  by  noon,  and  the  boys 
having  put  the  body  into  it,  they  placed  it  in  the  grave. 
After  I  had  read  the  service,  they  filled  in  the  earth  ;  and 
thus  we  finished  our  disagreeable  duty  without  any 
assistance/' 

Austin.  What  an  odd  thing,  for  the  missionary  to  be 
obliged  to  make  a  coffin  ! 


MUSCAIGO    SCHOOL-BOYS.  275 

Hunter.  There  are  few  things  that  conscientious  mission 
aries  are  not  ready  to  do,  for  the  souls  and  bodies  of  those 
under  their  care.  It  is  natural  enough  that  young  people 
should  like  better  to  hear  an  exciting  account  of  Indian 
manners  and  customs,  of  famous  warriors,  of  wild  horses, 
of  bear  and  buffalo  hunts,  and  of  Indian  games  and  dances, 
than  to  listen  to  a  quiet  recital  of  missionary  efforts ;  but 
remember,  that  Red  Indian  robes,  war  clubs,  and  toma 
hawks,  bravery  in  war,  and  skill  in  the  chase,  will  not  pre 
pare  an  Indian  for  death,  and  still  less  for  eternity.  We  are 
to  live  after  this  life  has  passed  away ;  and  red  men  and 
white  men  require  a  hope  on  which  they  can  rely.  Both 
have  sinned,  and  both  stand  in  need  of  a  Saviour.  To  make 
that  Saviour  known,  is  the  first,  the  chief  object  of  the 
missionary. 

Austin.  Every  one  ought  to  love  the  missionary. 

Hunter.  The  Red  Indians,  just  in  proportion  as  they  love 
hunting  and  fighting,  dislike  agricultural  labour ;  yet  you 
will  see,  by  a  few  extracts  from  Mr.  Smithurst's  register, 
that,  by  degrees,  young  Indians  brought  up  in  schools  may 
be  taught  to  work  as  well  as  the  whites.  Mr.  Smithurst, 
who  is  among  the  Indians  on  the  Red  River,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  says,  "  I  to-day 
visited  the  Saulteaux  settlement.  When  I  was  down  a 
fortnight  ago,  I  told  the  school  children,  with  a  view  of 
encouraging  them,  that  I  wanted  forty  loads  of  hay  ;  and, 
if  they  would  make  it  for  me,  I  would  pay  them  as  Mr. 
Cockran  had  paid  the  Muscaigoes.  From  the  prejudice  of 
this  tribe  to  every  thing  like  farming,  I  never  expected  that 
they  would  get  the  whole ;  but  they  have  been  assisted  by 
their  heathen  relatives,  and  to-day  I  found  them  making  the 
last  stack  :  they  have  got  at  least  sixty  loads.  This  is  very 
gratifying,  as  it  shows  that  a  great  change  is  taking  place. 
The  experience  of  this  settlement  has  hitherto  proved  that 
Indian  prejudice  first  gives  way  with  respect  to  our  mode 
of  living,  and  then  with  respect  to  our  religion.  A  willing 
ness  to  settle  in  a  house,  and  cultivate  the  ground,  opens 


276        INDIANS    TAUGHT    AGRICULTURE. 

the  way  for  religious  instruction,  as  it  keeps  the  Indian 
where  this  is  to  be  obtained." 

•ftustin.  Red  Indians  making  hay !  Who  would  ever 
have  thought  to  see  Red  Indian  hay-makers  ! 

Hunter.  Mr.  Smithurst  goes  on  thus : — "  On  my  return 
home,  I  got  a  number  of  Muscaigo  school-boys,  arid  set 
them  to  reap  barley.  Having  never  seen  them  reap,  I  was 
a  little  curious  to  see  how  they  would  get  along  when  to 
my  surprise,  I  found  them  to  proceed  with  all  the  regularity  of 
Europeans.  Indeed,  I  am  quite  sure  that  I  could  not  have 
taken  an  equal  number  of  children  of  the  same  age  out  of 
a  school,  even  in  the  most  agricultural  district  of  England, 
who  would  have  done  so  well.  None  of  them  are  more 
than  twelve,  and  two  are  only  nine  years  old." 

Brian.  Those  Muscaigo  boys  were  fine  lads. 

Hunter.  "  I  have  now,"  says  Mr.  Smithurst,  «  a  .number 
of  the  Indians  clearing  ground.  It  is  necessary  for  us  thus 
to  employ  them,  that  they  may  be  able  to  get  clothing  for 
the  winter.  There  is  nothing,  so  far  as  temporal  things  are 
concerned,  which  they  need  to  learn  so  much  as  industry. 
My  rule  is,  never  to  give  the  Christian  Indians  any  thing, 
unless  they  work  for  it ;  except  in  cases  of  old  age  or  sick 
ness.  They  are  now  very  willing  to  work  ;  but  it  is  neces 
sary  that  I  should  be  almost  always  with  them,  which  is 
rather  a  heavy  task  upon  me. 

"  I,  this  morning,  set  an  Indian  to  plough  ;  but,  when  I 
went  to  see  how  he  got  on,  I  found  that  he  had  missed  just 
as  much  as  he  had  ploughed  I  was.  therefore  obliged  to 
do  it  myself.  There  are  now  a  number  of  Indians  who 
can  plough  well ;  but  tney  are  engaged  on  their  own  farms, 
and  I  do  not  wish  to  ask  them  to  come  to  me.  I  must  always 
have  a  succession  of  learners,  and  bear  with  the  inconvenience. 

"  I  have  been  to  the  Saulteaux  settlement  to-day,  superin 
tending  the  sowing  of  the  little  patches  belonging  to  the 
Indians  of  that  tribe.  I  was  pleased  to  see  them  taking  a 
much  greater  interest  in  the  matter  this  year  than  last.  I 
should  be  doubly  gratified,  if  I  could  but  see  them  a  little 


ANECDOTE    OF    AN    INDIAN    BOY.        277 

more  anxious  after  religious  instruction.  We  must,  however, 
wait  God's  time." 

Austin.  I  can  hardly  fancy  Indian  boys  ploughing  and 
sowing  like  farmers. 

Hunter.  Mr.  West,  from  the 'same  station  on  the  Red 
River,  writes  thus : — "  Well  do  I  remember  Withaweecapo 
bringing  his  son  to  me  in  his  arms,  as  I  sat  in  the  boat  wait 
ing  for  him,  to  start  many  hundred  miles  from  York  Facto 
ry  to  the  Red  River ;  and,  as  he  parted  with  his  boy,  with 
tears  of  affection,  saying,  'There,  I  give  you  my  son,  to 
teach  as  you  say,  because  I  think  you  will  take  care  of  him, 
and  will  treat  him  as  a  father.  But  I  shall  come  and  see 
my  boy.'  Fourteen  years  after,  it  seems,  he  undertook  th " 
journey,  many  hundred  miles,  to  visit  his  boy.  This 
brought  him  under  Christian  instruction;  and,  God  be 
praised !  there  is  good  hope  to  believe  that  he  was  led  to 
embrace  Christ  Jesus  as  his  Lord,  and  to  live  in  obedience 
to  his  gospel,  so  that  he  died  a  true  Christian.  How  cheer 
ing  is  this  statement !  His  widow  is  one  of  my  Indian 
congregation,  and  a  communicant ;  and  all  their  children, 
seven  in  number,  are  Christians  !  P-^**^  OJ  ;.  LJbHffW 

"What  encouragement  is  there,  amidst  all  discourage 
ments,  to  prosecute  Christian  missions !  Let  us  therefore 
persevere,  and  faint  not ;  for  in  due  season  a  rich  harvest 
shall  be  reaped,  to  the  great  glory  of  the  Lord." 

Brian.  Withaweecapo  did  not  forget  his  boy,  though  he 
was  away  so  long. 

Hunter.  Mr.  West  continues  in  this  manner :— "  This 
morning,  one  of  the  Musciago  school-boys,  about  twelve 
years  old,  brought  two  birds,  and  desired  my  servant  to  ask 
if  I  would  have  them.  I  found  they  had  been  stuffed, 
though  certainly  not  in  a  first-rate  style.  I  asked  what  he 
wished  to  have  for  them,  and  the  answer  was,  <Ariy  thing 
you  please  to  give.'  I  was  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
Indian  character  to  know  that  he  had  not  brought  the  birds 
without  having  some  distinct  object  in  view ;  and  I  there 
fore  said,  'Tell  him  I  don't  know  what  to  give  him:  he 

24 


278  SPEECH    OF    AN    OLD    INDIAN. 

must  say  himself  what  he  would  like  to  have.'  He  could 
not,  he  said,  expect  to  have  what  he  wanted  in  return  for 
the  birds,  as  he  wanted  a  Common  Prayer  Book ;  but  if  I 
would  let  him  have  the  book,  when  I  wanted  any  one  to 
work  he  would  come.  The  English  of  the  whole  was 
simply  this: — His  mind  was  so  set  upon  obtaining  the 
Prayer  Book,  that  he  brought  the  birds  to  get  into  favour 
with  me,  thinking  that  I  should  not  refuse  him  the  book  on 
credit,  till  he  could  work  for  it." 

Austin.  That  boy  really  wanted  th.e  Prayer  Book. 

Hunter.  The  last  extract  that  1  shall  give  you  from  Mr. 
West,  is  as  follows: — "I  was  much  pleased  this  evening,  in 
a  conversation  with  one  of  the  Muscaigo  school-boys.  He 
had  been  working  on  the  mission  farm  a  month,  during  the 
seed-time,  for  which  I  paid  him  twelve  shillings.  Wishing 
to  know  how  he  had  spent  it,  I  said,  *  What  did  you  do  with 
the  money  I  gave  you?'  'I  took  it  to  the  store.'  '  Well, 
what  did  you  buy?'  'The  shirt  I  have  on.'  'Well,  that 
cost  four  shillings ;  what  more  did  you  purchase  ?'  ' White 
cotton.'  ' What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  ?'  'Have  a 
Sunday  shirt.'  '  Well,  that  is  very  good ;  but  what  else  did 
you  buy?'  'A  pair  of  shoes.'  'Yes,  those  three  things 
cost  nine  shillings ;  what  did  you  do  with  the  rest  ?'  'Gave 
it  to  my  father.'  'Well,  that  is  just  what  you  ought  to  do. 
You  know  the  word  of  God  says,  Honour  thy  father  and 
thy  mother.  I  trust  that  you  will  always  remember,  that 
it  is  your  duty  to  help  them.  I  hope  the  other  boys  will  do 
the  same,  and  then  God  will  bless  them.'  This  little  inci 
dent  affords  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  we  do  not  labour 
i  vain.  It  was  the  first  money  the  boy  ever  had,  and  not 
a  fraction  of  it  was  misapplied." 

Brian.  An  English  boy  could  not  do  better. 

Hunter.  These  anecdotes  of  Indian  life,  by  describing 
the  very  acts  and  words  of  those  among  whom  the  mission 
aries  are,  seem  to  bring  the  people  before  you.  In  one  of 
Mr.  Cockran's  journals,  he  says  the  language  of  an  old 
Indian  was,  "I  must  go  and  take  the  opinion  of  the  Black 


JOURNEY    TO    THE.   ROCKY    MOUNTAINS.    279 

Coat,  about  our  Indian  ways  and  worship ;  he  says  that  the 
Master  of  life  is  displeased  with  us,  because  we  will  not 
listen  to  the  message  of  his  Son,  who  came  from  heaven 
and  died  to  save  us.  I  should  not  like  to  meet  the  Master 
of  life  angry.  His  winter  storms  and  his  summer  storms 
terrify  me.  If  he  grow  properly  angry,  I  cannot  stand  be 
fore  him." 

Austin.  Poor  old  Indian!  Properly  angry — that  is 
a  very  expressive  term. 

Hunter.  The  Indians  have  many  expressive  terms,  and 
they  are  an  interesting  people.  I  will  now  give  you  a  few 
extracts  from  the  journal  of  Mr.  Rundell,  a  missionary 
belonging  to  the  Wesleyan  Missions  in  the  Hudson's  Bay 
territories,  being  some  of  the  last  intelligence  received 
respecting  the  Red  Indians.  Mr.  Rundell  travelled  three 
thousand  five  hundred  miles  from  New  York  to  get  to  his 
station.  He  is  the  first  Protestant  missionary  stationed 
in  the  far  west,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  He  says,  "About  seven  o'clock,  I  started,  in  a  dog- 
cariole,  for  the  Fort  Hunter's  Camp,  situated  near  Beaver 
Lake.  The  cariole  was  drawn  by  four  dogs.  It  was 
a  brilliant  starlight  night,  with  some  faint  glimmerings  of 
the  Aurora  Borealis.  The  Beaver  Hills  extend  for  a  long 
distance,  and  are  in  general  covered  with  trees  and  shrubs, 
interspersed  with  small  lakes.  The  scenery,  during  the 
summer  months,  must  be  very  splendid :  but  I  saw  only 
the  rude  ravages  of  winter  in  the  woods ;  ice  bound 
the  lakes,  and  snow  mantled  the  ground.  In  the  forenoon, 
we  surprised  a  herd  of  buffaloes  on  a  small  lake,  and  one 
of  them  slipped  on  the  ice,  and  was  soon  stabbed  to  the 
heart.  The  cold  was  so  severe  at  this  time,  that  the  blood 
froze  about  the  instrument  employed  in  cutting  up  the 
animal.  I  reached  the  camp  in  the  afternoon;  but  the 
night  was  so  intensely  cold,  that  I  could  get  but  little 
sleep." 

Austin.  He  would  look  droll  in  his  dog-cariole  ! 

Hunter.  "  I  reached  Rocky  Mountain  House,  and  was 


290  A    BLOOD    INDIAN    CHIEF. 

very  kindly  received  by  J.  H.  Harriott,  Esq.,  the  gentleman 
in  charge.  I  found  several  Indians  at  the  fort,  and,  shortly 
after  my  arrival,  another  party  arrived  from  the  plains. 
Great  warmth  of  feeling  was  expressed  by  them  on  seeing 
me.  Their  dresses  were  profusely  adorned  with  beads  and 
gay  embroidery,  with  porcupine  quills  and  other  orna 
ments.  Whilst  I  was  saluting  them,  some  kissed  me  ; 
others,  after  shaking  me  by  the  hand,  passed  both  hands 
over  part  of  my  dress,  uttering  at  the  same  time  a  kind  of 
prayer;  and  others  gave  me  their  left  hand,  because 
nearest  the  heart." 

Brian.  That  is  a  very  odd  custom,  to  kiss  the  mis 
sionary.  I  should  not  much  like  it. 

Hunter.  "A  large  party  of  Blackfeet  and  Peagans 
arrived ;  and  their  entrance  into  the  fort  presented  a  very 
novel  appearance.  The  first  that  came  were  the  Peagans ; 
and  the  ceremony  commenced  with  singing  some  rude  and 
barbarous  sounds.  They  then  marched  in  order  to  the 
fort,  the  chief  leading  the  van,  bringing  with  him  a  horse, 
the  head  of  which  was  striped  with  red  ochre,  as  an 
intended  present  for  Mr.  Harriott;  the  chief  entered  the 
fort,  followed  by  his  party.  The  Blackfeet  approached 
much  in  the  same  way,  excepting  that  singing  formed  no 
part  of  the  ceremony.  Some  of  the  chiefs'  dresses  looked 
very  fine ;  and  the  needlework  on  them  would  reflect  no 
discredit  on  members  of  civilized  communities.  To-day  a 
rumour  spread  amongst  the  Indians,  that  I  came  down  from 
heaven  in  a  piece  of  paper,  and  that  the  paper  was  opened 
by  a  gentleman  belonging  to  the  fort,  and  so  I  made 
my  first  appearance  upon  earth." 

Basil.  I  never  heard  a  stranger  thing !  Came  down 
from  heaven  in  a  piece  of  paper ! 

Hunter.  « The  <  Big  Wolf,'  a  Blood  Indian  chief,  re 
quested  last  night  that  nothing  might  be  said  to  him  by  me, 
against  taking  revenge  on  their  enemies ;  neither  against 
the  practice  of  sacrificing  to  the  sun  the  tops  of  their 
fingers,  previous  to  going  to  battle — a  custom  common 


INTERVIEW    WITH    ASSINNEBOINS.      281 

amongst  them.  He  was  determined,  he  said,  to  have 
revenge  on  the  man  that  stabbed  him  some  time  before ; 
and  affirmed,  that  the  sacrifices  offered  to  the  sun  would 
certainly  insure  success  when  warring  with  their  enemies. 
He,  however,  expressed  a  wish  to  hear  me.  This  Indian 
is  one  of  the  greatest  warriors  in  all  the  tribes.  He  attend 
ed  the  service  in  the  evening,  and  afterwards  expressed  his 
satisfaction  with  what  he  had  heard." 

Austin.  I  am  afraid  the  Indian's  love  of  revenge  will 
never  be  conquered. 

Hunter.  What  is  hard  with  man  is  easy  with  God  ;  but 
I  will  go  on  with  my  extracts.  "  I  gave  advice  to  <  Big 
Wolf,'  in  order  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between  him  and 
the  man  towards  whom  he  entertains  such  deadly  hatred ; 
and  tried  to  persuade  him  to  drink  no  more  liquor,  as  that 
was  the  cause  of  the  affray.  He  listened  attentively  ;  and 
I  learned  afterwards  that  this  advice  was  not  given  in 
vain." 

Basil.  Liquor  seems  to  be  the  ruin  of  the  Indians. 

Hunter.  "  The  long-expected  band  of  Rocky  Mountain 
Crees,  those  whom  I  came  especially  to  see,  arrived  this 
day,  accompanied  by  a  party  "of  Assinneboins.  Soon  after 
their  arrival,  I  addressed  them  on  the  being  of  God,  and  on 
the  creation  and  fall  of  man.  A  remark  made  by  one  of 
the  Crees,  after  the  service,  is  deserving  of  notice.  He 
said,  they  resembled  hungry  young  birds  in  a  nest,  when 
visited  by  the  parent ;  like  the  young  birds,  he  said,  they 
stood  hungry  with  their  mouths  open,  to  be  fed." 

Jlustin.  Indians  have  the  oddest  way  of  speaking. 

Hunter.  "  I  met  many  Indians  in  a  large  tent,  fitted  up 
for  the  occasion  of  my  visit.  I  rode  in  the  afternoon  to  an 
Assinneboin  camp,  situated  at  the  distance  of  a  few  miles, 
and  met  with  a  very  warm  reception.  Nearly  all  in 
the  camp,  I  believe — men,  women,  and  children — met  me 
on  my  approach,  to  welcome  my  arrival.  They  all  walked 
in  procession,  with  their  chief  at  their  head ;  and  it  was, 
indeed,  a  very  interesting  sight.  Many  of  the  children,  I 


282    DISAPPOINTMENT    OF    MISSIONARIES. 

observed,  were  carried  on  the  backs  of  their  mothers. 
The  ceremony  of  shaking  hands  now  took  place,  which  I 
performed  on  horseback,  and  afterwards  proceeded  to  the 
tent  arranged  for  the  service;  and,  under  the  rays  of 
a  bright  and  imcl'ouded  sun,  discoursed  to  them  on  the 
glories  and  beauties  of  the  eternal  Sun  of  righteousness." 

Brian.  That  custom  of  shaking  hands  must  take  up  a 
long  time  among  so  many  of  them. 

Hunter.  "  It  was  from  this  hill  that  I  obtained  my  best 
view  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  presented  the  sub- 
limest  spectacle  that  I  ever  expect  to  behold,  until  I  become 
an  inhabitant  of  'the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth.' 
Their  pointed  and  snowy  summits  rose  high  into  the  hea 
vens,  resembling  the  lofty  spires  of  some  vast  and  magnifi 
cent  marble  temple,  and  the  scene  was  truly  grand  and 
imposing.  In  comparison  with  these  Divine  productions,  all 
the  works  of  art  dwindle  into  insignificance.  From  their 
vast  recesses,  those  great  rivers  flow  which  send  forth  their 
streams  to  the  Atlantic,  Pacific,  and  Arctic  Oceans." 

Austin.  Oh,  that  must  be  glorious  scenery  ! 

Hunter.  "  I  reached  Edmonton  with  no  other  injuries, 
thanks  to  a  kind  Providence,  than  two  or  three  slight  frost 
bites,  and  some  indications  of  snow  blindness,  from  the 
effects  of  which  I  recovered  in  about  a  week ;  and  thus 
ended  my  winter  campaigns." 

Brian.  I  could  listen  an  hour  to  such  extracts  as  these. 

Hunter.  Well;  I  have  now  told  you  pretty  well  about 
Red  Indians,  and  must  come  to  the  end  of  my  narrative. 
Great  have  been  the  difficulties  of  the  missionaries,  and 
many  have  been  their  disappointments.  The  Cherokees,  • 
Choctaws,  Pawnees,  Oregons,  Sioux,  and  others,  have  none 
of  them  altogether  realized  the  hopes  which  at  different 
times,  on  their  account  have  been  entertained.  The  oppo 
sition  of  Papists,  the  wars  that  break  out  unexpectedly 
among  the  tribes,  the  reverence  entertained  by  them  for 
superstitious  customs,  their  removals  from  one  place  to 
another,  the  natural  indolence  of  Indians,  and  their  love  of 


EVENTUAL  SPREAD  OF  THE  GOSPEL.  283 

spiritous  liquors,  called  forth  by  white  men  in  order  to  de 
ceive  them,  these  and  other  causes  are  always  at  work, 
operating  against  the  efforts  of  the  missionary.  I  might  it 
is  true,  give  you  more  instances  than  I  have  done  of  an 
encouraging  kind,  respecting  the  Red  Indians  generally; 
but,  perhaps,  it  will  be  better  now  to  sum  up  the  account  by 
saying,  the  missionary  is  at  work  among  them  with  some 
degree  of  success,  and  though  from  the  remoteness  of 
many  of  the  tribes,  their  strong  attachment  to  the  supersti 
tions  of  their  forefathers,  and  other  causes  already  alluded 
to,  the  progress  of  Christianity  is  necessarily  slow,  there  is 
no  doubt  that  it  will  ultimately  prevail ;  the  promise  has 
gone  forth,  and  will  be  fulfilled,  the  heathen  will  be  the  in 
heritance  of  the  Redeemer,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  his  possession.  He  who  has  clothed  the  arm  of  the 
red  man  with  strength,  shod  his  feet  with  swiftness,  and 
filled  his  heart  with  courage,  will,  in  due  time,  subdue  his 
cruelty  and  revenge,  open  his  eyes  to  discern  the  wondrous 
things  of  God's  holy  law,  dispose  his  mind  to  acknowledge 
the  Lord  of  life  and  glory,  and  make  him  willing  to 
receive  the  gospel  of  the  Redeemer. 


THE    END. 


